Washington, Feb 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Tulsi Gabbard, the newly appointed US Director of National Intelligence, to discuss various dimensions of the bilateral relationship, with a particular emphasis on strengthening intelligence collaboration in counter-terrorism and tackling emerging threats.
During their meeting, Modi congratulated Hindu-American Gabbard on her recent confirmation as the nation’s leading intelligence official, which took place on Wednesday.
“Met USA’s Director of National Intelligence, @TulsiGabbard in Washington DC. Congratulated her on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she’s always been a strong advocate,” Modi shared via a post on X.
The talks also revolved around enhancing intelligence integration in counter-terrorism efforts, cybersecurity, and addressing new challenges, as noted by the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, in a follow-up post on X.
“PM @narendramodi had a fruitful meeting with US Director of National Intelligence @TulsiGabbard in Washington DC today. Discussions focused on enhancing intelligence cooperation in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity & emerging threats,” the post stated.
Modi arrived in Washington around 5:30 PM local time (Thursday, 4 AM IST) following his trip to France, where he co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron.
On Thursday, Modi and Trump will engage in bilateral talks at the White House.
“Our nations will continue to collaborate for the benefit of our citizens and to foster a brighter future for our planet,” Modi expressed on X. Gabbard officially took her oath as director of national intelligence in the Oval Office on Wednesday, shortly after the Senate confirmed her appointment, The Hill reported.
Attorney General Pam Bondi administered the oath to Gabbard, who was praised by Trump as “an American of extraordinary courage and patriotism.” He highlighted her three deployments in the Army National Guard and referred to her background as a former Democratic congresswoman, jokingly stating “can you believe that?” Gabbard, 43, who previously served as a congresswoman from Hawaii, faced bipartisan doubts regarding her capability to oversee the intelligence community.
In her remarks after being sworn in, Gabbard expressed gratitude to the president for his confidence in her abilities and committed to “refocus our intelligence community.”
“Unfortunately, the American public has very little trust in the intelligence community, primarily due to the perceived weaponization and politicization of an institution that should be solely dedicated to safeguarding our national security,” the new intelligence chief stated.
She was confirmed by the Senate with a narrow 52-48 vote after two months of deliberations regarding her qualifications to lead the intelligence agencies and to prepare Trump’s daily intelligence brief. (Agencies)
