High-level US official to visit India next week for talks on food insecurity, global health

Washington: A high-level US State Department official is set to travel to India next week for consultations on a range of US multilateral priorities, including combating food insecurity and advancing global health.

Besides India, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele Sison will travel to Bangladesh and Kuwait from August 2-10. During her visit, Sison will hold consultations on a range of US multilateral priorities.

She will also address issues concerning humanitarian needs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

“Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison will travel to India, Bangladesh, and Kuwait August 2-10 for consultations on a range of U.S. multilateral priorities, including combating food insecurity, advancing global health, addressing human rights and humanitarian needs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and support for Rohingya refugees,” the US State Department said in a statement.

Sison’s meetings with senior government officials will focus on opportunities to deepen its cooperation at the United Nations, and U.S. support for the candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin to become the next Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union.

“In meetings with civil society leaders, the Assistant Secretary will exchange ideas on how the United States and other countries can collaborate on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” the State Department added.

This upcoming visit of Sison comes days after USAID chief Samantha Power’s two-day India visit.

She held several meetings with the political leadership in India. The USAID Administrator also held a town hall meeting with the US Embassy and USAID staff where she reflected on 75 years of the US-India diplomatic partnership.

During her visit, she met USAID’s local Indian staff and thanked them for their commitment to advancing locally-led development in India, and recognized their resilience amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.