S Jaishankar’s US visit to chart 2025 diplomacy
As 2025 dawns, India has already started gearing up for a whirlwind year in foreign policy. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is in the United States this week, where he will meet officials from both the outgoing Biden administration and the incoming Trump team. His visit is crucial to make the transition smooth and set up high-level meetings soon after Donald Trump takes office on January 20th, 2025.
Jaishankar is likely to hold meetings with members of the Trump transition team and top nominees for positions in the State and Defense Departments. A key agenda will be to secure an early date for Trump’s visit to India, which should coincide with the Quad Summit that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host in 2025. The Quad comprising India, the United States, Japan, and Australia, will center its focus on critical global issues, especially health and climate change, as Trump plans to review policies he inherits from his predecessor.
Prime Minister Modi’s Key Diplomatic Travels
India’s diplomatic calendar for 2025 is already packed with high-profile visits and engagements. Prime Minister Modi is expected to travel to the United States to meet the new US President. The US-India relationship is likely to see a new phase under Trump’s administration, with an emphasis on both regional and global strategic ties.
Modi is also gearing up for important visits. He will attend the G20 summit in South Africa and the ASEAN summit in Malaysia later this year. He may also go to France in February and to Japan for an annual summit.
Russia-India Relations: A High-Stakes Year
India will host the annual summit with Russia, with a possible visit by President Vladimir Putin to New Delhi. This would be his first visit to India since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, making it all the more important for the Russia-India relationship. Prime Minister Modi’s trip to Russia could also come up as India tries to maintain a balance between Western and Eastern powers.
Anticipated Dialogue at BRICS and SCO Summits
The year will also see two critical multilateral summits — the BRICS summit in Brazil during July and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China during August-September. These will be watched closely for the prospects of dialogue between Prime Minister Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping. The situation at LAC in Ladakh is improving; a potential meeting between Modi and Xi may signal an easing in India-China relations.
India’s Engagement with the European Union and other Nations
India will also host the next edition of its summit with the European Union (EU) in New Delhi. This high-level meeting will bring European leaders to India, strengthening economic and strategic ties between India and the EU.
In addition, several critical bilateral visits are in the pipeline. Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit India in mid-January. His counterpart, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, will come to India as the chief guest for the 2025 Republic Day celebrations. Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font is also scheduled to visit India between March and April.
Key Global Summits in 2025
India will remain actively engaged in the world diplomatic sphere in 2025 with a number of summit opportunities. In addition to the G20 and ASEAN summits, India will be engaging with the countries in the Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions, thus entering into another year of high-stakes diplomacy for India.
India’s foreign policy during 2025 is looking to shape up as an important strategic engagement with major global actors. Significant summits, high-profile visits, and the strengthening of relationships between Western and Eastern powers are promising to help India advance its interests globally and play an even more pivotal role in shaping the future of international diplomacy.