New York [US], September 25 (ANI): Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri held a series of meetings in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with discussions covering critical and emerging technologies, Pax Silica, semiconductors, critical minerals, energy security, civil nuclear cooperation and the recently enacted Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA).
In separate posts on X, Misri said he met US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, with the engagements covering key areas of India-US bilateral cooperation.
"Great to meet Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg in New York. Agreed to advance India–U.S. cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, including through Pax Silica, and strengthen cooperation in semiconductors and critical minerals," Misri said.
In another post, the Foreign Secretary said he discussed energy security and several other strategic issues with Hooker.
"A productive meeting with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker in New York today. Discussed various elements of India-US bilateral cooperation, including energy security and the recently enacted SRIA, civil nuclear cooperation, TRUST and the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture initiative," he said.
The meetings come against the backdrop of expanding India-US cooperation in areas considered strategically important to economic and national security, including supply-chain resilience, advanced technologies and energy.
Pax Silica, launched in December 2025 by Helberg, is the US State Department's flagship initiative focused on AI and supply-chain security. The initiative seeks to build cooperation among partner countries around secure and innovative supply chains spanning critical minerals, energy inputs, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors and AI infrastructure.
The initiative has also expanded its membership. At the 2026 Summit, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, the European Union, Germany, Greece, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands and Panama joined the Pax Silica Declaration. The new additions brought the number of signatories to 24, alongside Australia, Finland, India, Israel, Japan, Norway, Qatar, South Korea, Singapore, Sweden, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Taiwan has separately endorsed the declaration's principles through a joint statement on US-Taiwan economic security cooperation.
The broader cooperation under Pax Silica has also included discussions on artificial intelligence and supply chain security. The United States and nearly three dozen Pax Silica economies signed a Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, with participants including India, Australia, Argentina, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Against this backdrop, Misri's meeting with Helberg assumes significance for India's engagement with Washington on critical minerals and semiconductor supply chains, as both countries seek to deepen cooperation in strategic technologies and strengthen resilience in areas vulnerable to supply disruptions.
Misri's meeting with Hooker, meanwhile, covered energy security as well as the SRIA, civil nuclear cooperation, TRUST and the Indian Ocean Strategic Venture initiative.
The discussion on SRIA comes as India continues to assess the implications of US legislation targeting Russia's energy trade and countries purchasing Russian oil and gas.
The Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, or SRIA, provides a statutory framework for expanded sanctions, import duties and trade restrictions concerning Russia, while also extending economic measures relating to Iran. The legislation focuses on areas including Russia's petroleum and military sectors, government officials, financial institutions and vessels associated with efforts to circumvent restrictions on Russian crude exports.
For India, the legislation has particular relevance because it creates a potential mechanism under which Washington could impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, subject to the statutory conditions and any subsequent invocation by the US President Donald Trump.
The legislation itself, however, does not automatically impose a 100 per cent tariff on Indian goods. Rather, it provides the executive branch with authority to impose such tariffs under specified conditions.
India and China remain among the major purchasers of Russian crude, making the issue of continued energy trade with Moscow an important component of the wider discussion over sanctions and global energy markets.
New Delhi has maintained that its energy-security decisions are guided by national interests and market considerations. The Ministry of External Affairs has also said India is closely monitoring developments concerning the legislation and remains determined to protect its trade and economic interests.
With energy security featuring in Misri's discussions with Hooker and critical minerals, semiconductors and Pax Silica featuring in his engagement with Helberg, the meetings highlighted several of the major economic and strategic issues shaping the India-US relationship.
The engagements also come as India and the United States continue to work on cooperation spanning critical technologies, resilient supply chains, civil nuclear energy and strategic initiatives in the Indo-Pacific, alongside managing differences related to energy trade and sanctions policy. (ANI)
Misri’s talks in NYC focus on critical minerals, Pax Silica with Helberg, Russia Sanctions Bill, Energy Security with Hooker
