We don’t know exactly when or where the new Indian consulate will open, but this announcement does represent a step forward in U.S.-India relations, said Katherine Hadda, a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies
The State Department and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced a new consulate in Seattle, underscoring the city’s position as a hub for Indian immigrants.
We don’t know exactly when or where the new Indian consulate will open, but this announcement does represent a step forward in U.S.-India relations, said Katherine Hadda, a visiting fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, a D.C.-based think tank, reported kuow.org. She’s also a former senior diplomat who most recently served as U.S. consul general in Hyderabad, India.
Beyond the practical concerns around serving the diaspora of Indians, there’s also a symbolic aspect to this announcement. “It means it’s a vote of confidence and an investment in the relationship.”
To Hada, consulates are the “unsung heroes” of global democracy. They’re vital to the operation of any diplomatic mission, and provide a number of services, like helping with passport renewals and investment issues. “They’ll facilitate investments between the two countries, maybe by hosting a business delegation…from their home country to that consulate, so they can see what the local opportunities might be. And they all just engage on a lot of people-to-people activities, demonstrating and hopefully strengthening the value of the bilateral relationship.”
There is a practical component to the opening of this new consulate, Hadda added. After all, Seattle is home to a significant Indian population, and the closest Indian consulate is in San Francisco. That means they have to cover a region stretching from Alaska out to Hawaii and Guam, Hadda said. “This will make it a lot easier for their diplomats to engage.”
Beyond the practical concerns around serving the diaspora of Indians, there’s also a symbolic aspect to this announcement. “It means it’s a vote of confidence and an investment in the relationship. Because it is time-consuming and expensive to open up the consulate to staff, it means you have confidence that not only will overall relations continue to grow, but that those relations are going to be broadening, not only in subject matter but in geographical location,” Hadda said.
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