The U.S. Department of State has released its 2023 annual report on foreign gifts. According to the report, U.S. President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and U.S. intelligence officers received gifts worth millions of dollars.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the most expensive gift to U.S. officials, presenting First Lady Jill Biden with a $20,000 diamond. Additionally, Indian officials gifted items made in Kashmir to U.S. intelligence officers.
Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also gave gifts to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. According to the report, Jake Sullivan received a silver statue in January 2023, followed by a wooden elephant statue in July 2023.
In 2022, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gifted U.S. President Joe Biden a carpet worth $525. In 2023, Pakistan’s Ambassador Masood Khan presented a $600 carpet to U.S. Senior Director for Government Affairs, Elin Lubacker.
The report reveals that U.S. intelligence agency employees received gifts worth $132,000 in 2023. CIA Director William Burns received a $18,000 telescope camera as a gift.
The report also detailed that U.S. intelligence officers received valuable gifts such as expensive watches, diamond jewelry, and perfumes. A Libyan businessman gave a $30,000 jewelry gift to a U.S. intelligence officer.
According to U.S. law, gifts valued over $480 must be reported, and significant or historical gifts are transferred to the National Archives or the General Services Administration.
