New Delhi, May 29 (HS): India reiterated that the ceasefire with Pakistan occurred at the request of the neighboring country after Operation Sindoor, and there was no role of any third party in it. Furthermore, discussions took place with leaders from several countries during this time, but there was no conversation regarding trade.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, made this statement on Thursday in response to a question during the weekly press briefing. The question referenced an example of the India-Pakistan ceasefire in the context of justifying a tariff policy by the U.S. government in a court. In response to this, the spokesperson provided clarification once again today.

The spokesperson also clarified that the decision to cease firing between India and Pakistan was made through direct contact between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of both countries and that no issues related to trade or tariffs were raised during these discussions.

During this time, the spokesperson mentioned that India-U.S. bilateral trade talks are currently ongoing, and a recent Indian delegation visited the United States. He stated that solid information would be shared only after the talks are completed.

Providing information about Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's visit to the U.S. (from May 27 to 29), Jaiswal noted that he held high-level meetings at the White House. These meetings emphasized strengthening bilateral cooperation on critical minerals and emerging technologies.

The Ministry of External Affairs also responded to the new guidelines issued by the United States regarding student and exchange visas. The spokesperson stated that the welfare of Indian students is a top priority for the government, and India hopes that student applications will be accepted based on merit.

Additionally, he mentioned that since January 2025, 1,080 Indian citizens have returned or been deported from the United States, of which approximately 62 percent returned via commercial flights.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar