NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON, June 1 – India has urged the United States to support its efforts to re-list Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list at the global watchdog’s upcoming plenary session in June, during Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s recent visit to Washington.
Misri, who concluded a three-day official trip to the U.S. on May 29, met senior American officials to discuss strategic and economic cooperation. A key focus of the talks was coordination on international financial oversight and counter-terrorism financing, Indian officials said.
“Discussions included collaboration in international financial institutions and coordination in the upcoming FATF processes,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
India is seeking to build consensus on placing Pakistan back on the FATF’s grey list, citing links between its security establishment and terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, which New Delhi accuses of orchestrating cross-border attacks. India has also indicated plans to oppose further World Bank financing to Pakistan.
The push follows India’s recent Operation Sindoor, targeting terror infrastructure across the border. New Delhi has already submitted evidence to the UN Security Council’s 1267 Sanctions Committee earlier in May, in a parallel effort to isolate Pakistan diplomatically and financially.
In Washington, Misri met with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender, and other key officials. President Donald Trump weighed in on the region’s tensions, reiterating that he used “trade leverage” to halt a four-day military standoff between India and Pakistan on May 10, which he claimed could have escalated into a “nuclear disaster.”
Beyond FATF coordination, the Indian foreign secretary’s agenda included a review of bilateral trade and defence ties. Talks with Under Secretary of Commerce Jeffrey Kessler included progress on the India-U.S. Bilateral Trade Agreement and cooperation in emerging technologies, with both sides agreeing to convene the next Strategic Trade Dialogue soon.
In meetings with Deputy Secretary of Defence Steve Feinberg and Under Secretary for Policy Elbridge Colby, India and the U.S. reaffirmed their commitment to a “robust and forward-looking defense partnership.” Discussions focused on co-production and co-development of defence systems, expanded joint military exercises, logistics and information-sharing, and improved interoperability.
The visit is part of India’s broader diplomatic outreach to key partners ahead of high-stakes multilateral meetings and amid renewed tensions with Pakistan.
