Burgenstock (Switzerland): US vice president J D Vance sparked a buzz online on Sunday when he jokingly revealed that his two “favourite” Indian and Pakistani people are his wife, Usha Vance, and Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir.
He said this on the sidelines of the US-Iran talks at Burgenstock in Switzerland, as reported by India Today.
“Since Field Marshal Asim Munir welcomed us with the (Pakistani) prime minister in Islamabad, I have joked that I have two very, very important people in my life. An Indian and a Pakistani. The Indian is my wife, and the Pakistani is Field Marshal Munir,” Vance said after discussions with Iranian officials on a permanent peace deal at the Swiss resort.
Both Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and Munir were present when he Vance made the remarks.
The US vice president then went on to praise Munir, saying he had spoken to the Pakistani Army Chief more than almost anyone else over the past three months.
“I have probably talked to Munir more than I have talked to anyone else over the last three months. We would not have been here without his statesmanship and military leadership. He has shown hi
mself to be a great diplomat,” Vance said.
His remark quickly gained traction online, particularly because of Vance’s frequent references to his wife, Usha Vance, whose parents immigrated to the US from Andhra Pradesh, and also his past praise for Munir and Sharif.
The US vice president had called Munir and Sharif “incredible hosts” and “incredible statesmen” for bridging the gap between the US and Iran, two nations that had not engaged in serious dialogue for decades, during the first round of US-Iran peace talks, which broke down after 21 hours in April.
Any shortcomings in the talks were not the responsibility of the Pakistani leadership, stating that Munir and his team “did an amazing job” trying to help secure a deal, he had noted.
Vance is known to share anecdotes about their 12-year interfaith marriage. Recently, during a podcast appearance, he had recalled telling his mother that Usha was Indian. According to him, his mother responded by asking, “Which tribe?” The question reflected unfamiliarity with different cultures rather than any disrespect toward Usha’s heritage, he had said.
Vance and Usha met in 2010 while studying at Yale Law School and married in 2014 in an interfaith ceremony that included Hindu traditions. The couple have three children and a fourth is expected soon.
Vance, who himself converted to Catholicism in 2019, sparked a huge debate last year by saying that he hoped Usha might one day convert to Christianity. The comment drew criticism from some Indian-Americans, who viewed it as insensitive toward Hindu beliefs.
Usha had later clarified that her husband’s remarks were being misinterpreted. “It’s not like he’s proselytising to me every day. I am not Catholic, and I do not intend to convert or anything like that,” she had said.