Kochi, April 4: U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin visited Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi, March 29-April 4, 2022, to explore the strength and diversity of the U.S. government’s partnerships in the state of Kerala, and further awareness about educational, research, and exchange opportunities in the United States.
CG Ravin used the opportunity to reaffirm our shared efforts to promote a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific, in which the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries is respected. CG Ravin also reiterated U.S. solidarity with Ukraine, noting the deteriorating humanitarian situation there and global threat to peace and security of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In Thiruvananthapuram, CG Ravin met with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Health Minister Veena George, and Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan. Later in Kochi, the Consul General met with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
During remarks to students at Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (RCSS) in Kochi as part of their Pursuit of Excellence lecture series, CG Ravin spoke about shared values and evolving global challenges and reiterated the U.S. government’s stance: “President Putin must end this war, stop the violence, de-escalate, remove Russia’s forces from Ukrainian territory, and choose diplomacy.”
CG Ravin visited the Cochin Port and held a discussion on geopolitics with the independent public policy think tank Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR). While exploring Kerala’s commitment to fighting climate change at the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) in Kochi, the Consul General spoke about U.S. partnerships in science and technology research, and reiterated the U.S. commitment to combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. To highlight the U.S.-India campaign to scale up clean energy, Ms. Ravin rode on India’s first solar-powered ferry in Alappuzha along with CEO of NavAlt Boats, Sandith Thandasherry, a U.S. government exchange alumnus. Thandasherry designed and built the ferry for the Kerala State Water Transport Department.
During her visits to the Napier Museum in Thiruvananthapuram and Vasco da Gama Square in Fort Kochi, the Consul General admired Kerala’s rich multicultural heritage. At the Kadavumbhagam Synagogue in Kochi, Ms. Ravin affirmed the U.S. government’s commitment to religious freedom. In Thiruvananthapuram, Ms. Ravin was inspired by inclusivity efforts that transform the lives of children with autism spectrum disorder at the Centre for Autism and other Disabilities Rehabilitation Research and Education (CADRRE), founded by another distinguished U.S. government exchange alumnus G. Vijaya Raghavan.
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Photo Captions:
Photo 1 (JPEG/1.1 MB): U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin visits the Center for Autism and other Disabilities Rehabilitation Research and Education (CADRRE) in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, March 31.
Photo 2 (JPEG/4.7 MB): U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin rides in India’s first solar-powered ferry with U.S. government alumnus and CEO of NavAlt Sandith Thandasherry in Alappuzha on Friday, April 1.
Photo 3 (JPEG/2MB): U.S. Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin interacts with students of Rajagiri College of Social Sciences in Kochi on Monday, April 4.
Translation: Malayalam (MS Word: 76 KB)
