Indian Ambassador meets key US lawmaker amid trade tensions

Washington, Sep 4 (IANS) India's Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, met with Representative Gregory Meeks, the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to discuss the India-US ties amid escalating trade frictions under President Donald Trump.

In a post on Wednesday on X, the House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats quoted Representative Meeks as underscoring "Congress' support for the US-India partnership, which has deepened over the past 25 years, including through the Quad".

Meeks also raised alarm over "Trump's arbitrary tariffs that threaten this vital relationship" while reaffirming his "commitment to deeper ties".

In response, Ambassador Kwatra also posted on X, saying that he briefed Representative Meeks on "recent developments in the bilateral relationship" and discussed "trade, energy, Indo-Pacific, and broader issues of mutual interest".

The Ambassador's meeting is the latest in a series of engagements with members of US Congress from both parties, Democratic Party and the Republican Party.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kwatra held a call with Representative Kat Cammack, a Republican from Florida, which focused on strengthening "bilateral relations, based on common values".

This engagement comes as India navigates Trump's punitive measures.

On August 27, Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports to the US, doubling an initial 25 per cent levy as a consequence for India's continued buying of discounted Russian oil amid the Ukraine conflict.

Trump has labelled the India-US trade relationship a "disaster", accusing New Delhi of high tariffs on American goods and profiteering from Russian oil.

Indian officials have rebuffed demands to halt purchases and called the US actions "unfair and unjustified".

Over the past few weeks, Democrats in the House Foreign Affairs Committee have demonstrated consistent support for India.

In early August, Representative Meeks termed Trump's tariffs as "tantrums" that risked "years of careful work to build a stronger US-India partnership".

He also advocated that "concerns should be addressed in a mutually respectful way consistent with our democratic values".

--IANS

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