The re-establishment of the Homeland Security Dialogue with India has been announced by the Biden administration. This Homeland Security Dialogue was discontinued by the Trump administration.
Key Points
- This announcement came after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke with Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the US on March 23.
- Mayorkas expressed his desire to further strengthen the partnership between India and his department.
- Mayorkas and Sandhu agreed to re-establish the US-India Homeland Security Dialogue and to discuss major issues like emerging technology, cyber-security, and addressing violent extremism.
- It was informed through a readout of the meeting.
- During their discussion, they highlighted the positive engagement that has already taken place during the Biden Administration, including with the Quad, which addressed concrete commitments to cooperate on climate actions, Covid, and cyber-security.
- Mayorkas and Sandhu also recognized the major contributions of students and entrepreneurs that had made both countries stronger.
The first India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in May 2011. It was an initiative of the Obama administration. The then-Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano had travelled to India to take part in the dialogue with her then-Indian counterpart Home Minister P Chidambaram.
The second India-US Homeland Security Dialogue was held in Washington DC in 2013, between Napolitano and the then Home Minister Sushil Kumar.