India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, recently engaged in discussions with Senator John Cornyn of Texas, who is the Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, aiming to enhance bilateral trade relations and hydrocarbon cooperation between India and the state of Texas.

Ambassador Kwatra expressed gratitude for Cornyn’s consistent support for the India-US relationship, emphasising the need for bilateral trade engagement founded on mutual respect.

During their talks, they highlighted several issues of mutual interest, with a particular focus on strengthening trade and further developing cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector between Texas and India.

Additionally, Ambassador Kwatra held a discussion with Congressman Andy Barr, Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Financial Institutions & Monetary Policy, who is also the Vice Co-Chair of the India Caucus in the House of Representatives. They exchanged views on expanding US-India trade and investment partnerships, acknowledging Barr’s leadership and ongoing support for the bilateral relationship.

These engagements took place amid tension caused by the economic implications of the US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose additional tariffs on Indian goods in response to India’s purchase of Russian oil.

The White House defended this move, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explaining that the tariffs, which have been doubled to 50 percent, are meant as a measure to apply secondary pressure on Russia related to the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

She stressed that the President is focused on ending the war and has taken significant actions, including sanctions and tariffs, to push toward that objective.

The discussions between Indian diplomats and US lawmakers underline efforts to deepen trade ties and hydrocarbon cooperation despite the backdrop of challenging geopolitical and economic developments related to tariff measures and international conflicts.

These talks reflect a strategic emphasis on maintaining a strong and respectful trade relationship while navigating complex global issues. Kwatra’s diplomatic outreach signals India’s intention to pursue broad-based engagement with key US partners to foster economic collaboration going forward.

Based On ANI Report