WASHINGTON: A day after India and the United States declared their intention to form a new Education and Skills Development Working Group, a Washington-based expert argued that higher education cooperation between the two countries will help deliver on the diplomatic relationship's true promise.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with Howard University students, professors, and leadership. Both foreign ministers met with Indian students, scholars, and researchers who had previously worked in the US, as well as American students, scholars, and researchers.

The high-level message from this conversation, according to Rossow, is that both ministers got together to discuss about higher education. "When you talk about 200,000 Indian students coming here, or the amount of US colleges that have research relationships there—a there's lot going on that underpins many other aspects of our relationship," he said.

At the working level, Rossow stated that during the 2+2 Summit on Monday, ministers announced the formation of a new working group on higher education skills development. "Trying to emphasise and underpin this crucial piece of our relationship that rests there," he added. "It's extremely amazing to see this much attention."

"Once American businesses realise that India is today and will undoubtedly be a significant component of global investment and trade regimes in the future," Rossow said, "they have to convey signals to MBA students that you need a little bit of experience if you gotta succeed in big corporate America."

"It's excellent for the two countries to get together when there were a lot of tensions building up over the difference of opinion on the Russian invasion of Ukraine," the senior fellow stated in response to a query about the 2 + 2 dialogue. "Second," he continued, "you did see some big statement on Space Situational Awareness."

US keeping an eye on growth in human rights violations in India: Blinken

Zelensky asks South Korea for military equipment aid

US calls for N.Korea to engage in talks amid reports of nuclear test