KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Senior Indian and American diplomats met in Kuala Lumpur on Monday to discuss the state of India-U.S. relations amid a series of high-level engagements between the two countries.
P. Kumaran, Secretary (East) at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, held talks with S. Paul Kapur, the newly appointed U.S. Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. Kumaran congratulated Kapur on his appointment and exchanged views on ongoing cooperation and regional priorities.
“Glad to meet U.S. Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Mr. S. Paul Kapur, in Kuala Lumpur today. Congratulated him on his appointment to the position and exchanged views on India-U.S. relations,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.
Kapur, an Indian-American scholar and security expert, was sworn in on October 22 as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, a key diplomatic position under the Trump administration. He succeeded Donald Lu, who served in the role from September 2021 through January 2025.
Before his appointment, Kapur served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff and was a professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. He has previously led the India-U.S. Track 1.5 dialogue and worked on Indo-Pacific and defense strategy issues.
The Kuala Lumpur meeting took place as India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Malaysian capital. Jaishankar described the talks as productive, noting that the two sides discussed bilateral, regional, and global developments.
“Glad to meet Secretary Rubio this morning in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues,” Jaishankar wrote on X.
Rubio, addressing reporters earlier en route to Doha, downplayed concerns that Washington’s renewed engagement with Pakistan could strain ties with India. “I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important,” he said, adding that New Delhi understands the need for Washington to maintain a broad diplomatic balance in South Asia. (Source: IANS)
