India’s Foreign Secretary Visits US for Bilateral Talks, Sanctions Exemptions at Stake

India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri arrived in the US on a three-day visit beginning Wednesday (April 8, 2026), when the two sides would review the full spectrum of the bilateral ties and plan for future collaboration in key areas of cooperation.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an announcement on Tuesday (April 7) that Misri would discuss a wide range of issues, including trade, defence, science and technology, as well as regional and global development of mutual interests.

The visit comes at an interesting time, just hours after the US and Iran declared a two-week temporary ceasefire to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the 37-day conflict in West Asia and the opening of the blockaded Strait of Hormuz to allow maritime cargo traffic.

“The visit will provide an opportunity to review the full spectrum of India–US bilateral relations and advance ongoing cooperation across key areas,” the MEA statement said.

“During the visit, the Foreign Secretary will hold discussions with senior officials of the US Administration on a wide range of issues, including trade, defence, science and technology, as well as regional and global developments of mutual interest,” it added.

Misri’s US visit came just months after India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar was in Washington in February 2026. The Foreign Secretary’s visit “is in keeping with the regular high-level exchanges” between the two sides, the MEA said.

The visit would be completed on Friday (April 10) when the outcomes of the bilateral talks between India and the US would be known, including the American sanctions waiver for New Delhi buying Russian and Iranian oil, and its work on Chabahar port continuing.

The US waiver on sanctions allowing the purchase of Russian oil and gas would expire on April 11, while the exemptions granted on Iranian oil buy on April 19.

The Chabahar port works exemptions would end on April 26, though India’s MEA budget for the 2027 fiscal has not allocated any money for capital expenditure on the Iranian port.

After Misri’s talks with the US administration, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is expected to extend the exemptions.