Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence of the United States, has embarked on a strategic visit to India, marking the first high-level trip by a senior official from the Donald Trump administration.

Her two-and-a-half-day visit is part of a broader multi-nation tour across the Indo-Pacific region, which includes stops in Japan, Thailand, and France. During her stay in India, Gabbard has engaged in pivotal discussions with key Indian officials, focusing on bolstering defence and security ties between the two nations.

Gabbard's meetings have been instrumental in reinforcing bilateral cooperation, particularly in areas such as intelligence sharing, cybersecurity, and defence collaboration. She held a one-on-one meeting with India's National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, where they explored ways to enhance intelligence cooperation and tackle global security challenges, including counter-terrorism strategies and emerging technological threats.

Gabbard also met with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss strengthening defence ties and addressing emerging threats in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

The visit follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent trip to Washington, where he met Gabbard and praised her as a strong advocate for India-US relations. Gabbard's participation in a global intelligence conclave, chaired by Doval, brought together top security officials from around 20 countries, including those from the Quad nations. The discussions at the conclave centred on countering terrorism, transnational crimes, and cybersecurity threats.

Gabbard is also scheduled to address the Raisina Dialogue, a premier global forum on geopolitics and security, marking the culmination of her Asia tour. Her address is expected to highlight the strategic importance of the India-US partnership in the Indo-Pacific region. Overall, Gabbard's visit underscores the commitment of both nations to deepen their strategic partnership, particularly in the realms of defence and security cooperation.

ANI