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NATION SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 | The Indian Eye 8

Meanwhile, Chinese ambassador hankar said: “The fight against im-
to India Sun Weidong stated that the punity is critical to the larger pursuit
situation on the India-China border of securing peace and justice. The
is “overall stable” and the two sides Security Council must send an unam-
have moved from the “emergency biguous and unequivocal message on
response” that followed the clash in this count. Politics should never ever
Galwan Valley in June 2020 to “nor- provide cover to evade accountabili-
malized management and control”. ty. Nor indeed to facilitate impunity.
“I think if the spokesperson of Regrettably, we have seen this of late
a foreign ministry were to say some- in this very chamber, when it comes
thing, I would urge you to see a com- to sanctioning some of the world’s
ment from the spokesperson of the most dreaded terrorists. If egregious
Foreign Ministry of the correspond- attacks committed in broad daylight
ing country,” Jaishankar responded are left unpunished, this Council must
when asked for his reaction to Wei- reflect on the signals we are sending
dong’s comment. with impunity. There must be consis-
Jaishankars comments clearly go tency if we are to ensure credibility.”
against the Chinese position that the A day after his comment at
overall India-China relationship is UNSC, Jaishankar and his Chinese
normal. counterpart Foreign Minister Wang
Just days before Jaishankar hit Yi had a brief encounter when pho-
out at China, without naming it, as he tos were taken at a BRICS gathering
spoke at the United Nations Security Dr S Jaishankar meets with United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to discuss in New York last week and there was
Council (UNSC) session on Ukraine. the Ukraine conflict and its repercussions, Indo-Pacific situation, South Asia and the Gulf in an awkward “unease.” There were no
In a reference to Beijing’s decision Washington DC (ANI) bilateral meetings between the two
to block the listing of terrorists, Jais- foreign ministers.

“Hope that things will improve...”: Jaishankar on long US visa delays

OUR BUREAU from Indian nationals and said the
Biden administration has a plan
Washington, DC
that will play out in the coming
xternal Affairs Minister S months.
Jaishankar has assured the “We had constraints from
EBiden administration on COVID about the number of peo-
Wednesday of all necessary co- ple we could have in our embassies
operation to help it resolve the at any one time etc. We are now
backlog of visa applications from building back very determined real-
Indians seeking to travel to the US. ly from that surging resources. We
He further said that things will get have a plan when it comes to India
better soon. to address the backlog of visas that
This comes a day after Jais- have built up I think you’ll see that
hankar in his meeting with the US play out in the coming months,”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken Blinken said in a press briefing.
raised the delay of visa applications The remarks came as he met
to which the top American diplo- with EAM Jaishankar in Washing-
mat said he is sensitive to the matter ton. Jaishankar flagged concerns
and had a plan to address it. “But and challenges that Indians have
I again, feel this is an issue where Dr. S Jaishankar participates in a business luncheon with (USISP) US-India Strategic Partner- been facing in receiving visas to
obviously it’s mainly for the US ship Forum Board members in Washington DC (ANI) work and live in the United States.
but we will be supportive and col- “There have been some chal-
laborative,” Jaishankar told ANI Washington, the external affairs min- “But I’m very confident, with lenges of late, and I flagged it to
in response to a question asked ister raised concerns about families the sincerity that Secretary Blinken Secretary Blinken and his team,
about people facing visa issues. and I have every confidence that
He further added, “To the not being able to meet and students showed and the seriousness with they will look at some of these prob-
people who are concerned about waiting for a long time and underlined which I hope they would address lems seriously and positively,” Jais-
the visa issues, I would like to give it as a ‘genuinely serious’ problem. this and with any support that we hankar said in his opening remarks.
the message that I understand “In India, I mean, there are fam- can provide, we hope that things will The waiting period for Indians
their anxiety and the urgency and ilies who are not able to meet their improve,” the EAM added as he ad- looking to secure a visitor visa to
which is precisely the reason why I relatives there and people who can’t dressed the efforts of governments of the US has gone up to 800 days,
took up the matter,” and suggest- keep their business appointments. both the countries during the press according to the website of the US
ed Blinken that India will help the There are students who are waiting briefing. State Department. The waiting pe-
US to deal with the situation in a for a long time. So, it’s a really it’s a Earlier on Tuesday, Blinken as- riod is nearly 400 days for student/
better way. genuinely serious problem of some sured that the US is “building back” exchange visitor visas and other
During the press briefing in magnitude.” on the backlog of visa applications non-immigrant visas.

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