Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma will travel to India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka on February 18-23 to strengthen the United States' cooperation with each of these key Indo-Pacific partners. Shortly following the two-year anniversary of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, his trip will reaffirm the United States' enduring commitment to a free, open, secure, and prosperous region.
In New Delhi, India, Deputy Secretary Verma will meet with senior government officials, business leaders, and entrepreneurs to advance the U.S.-Indian global strategic partnership on a full range of issues, including economic development, security, and technology.
From India, Deputy Secretary Verma will travel to Malé, Maldives, to meet with senior officials and advance shared priorities in increasing economic cooperation and promoting maritime security. The Deputy Secretary will also tour the planned office space for a new U.S. Embassy in Malé, which will help further increase people-to-people ties between the United States and Maldives.
Deputy Secretary Verma will conclude his trip in Colombo, Sri Lanka. His meetings with senior officials will support U.S.-Sri Lankan defense and maritime security cooperation. The Deputy Secretary will visit the Port of Colombo's West Container Terminal, where the United States is supporting Sri Lanka's ongoing economic recovery through $553 million in financing to transform Colombo into a regional shipping hub. Finally, he will meet with civil society leaders to hear their perspective on democratic governance in Sri Lanka and with government officials to voice U.S. support for the protection of free speech and open discourse.
