WASHINGTON: India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, met with US Congressman Warren Davidson on Wednesday to discuss the bilateral relationship between Washington and New Delhi and to brief him on recent developments in trade and energy.
Davidson, who serves as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions, hosted the meeting following a “productive discussion” Kwatra had with Representative Pete Sessions, Chairman of the Congressional Subcommittee on Governmental Operations.
After the meeting with Davidson, the ambassador posted on social media: “Welcomed his support on many facets of the India-US partnership and briefed him on recent developments in trade and energy.”
During his discussion with Sessions, Kwatra highlighted India’s stance on recent developments, including trade, and exchanged views on energy security and the expanding hydrocarbon partnership between the two countries, according to his post on X.
On Tuesday, Kwatra also held a “fruitful discussion” with Representative Marc Veasey, Vice Co-Chair of the India Caucus in the US House of Representatives. He briefed Veasey on India’s position on current developments and emphasized the importance of “fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial trade to further strengthen our partnership.”
Additionally, the ambassador spoke with Congressman Michael Baumgartner on Tuesday, discussing the India-US partnership and New Delhi’s perspectives on mutual trade and energy ties.
These meetings come amid tensions in India-US relations following US President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs totaling 50% on India, including a 25% levy on India’s purchases of Russian oil, effective August 27. India has described these tariffs as “unjustified and unreasonable,” asserting that, like any major economy, it will take necessary measures to protect its national interests and economic security.
Meanwhile, Russian Charge d’Affaires Roman Babushkin stated in New Delhi on Wednesday that Moscow has a “special mechanism” to address challenges arising from US punitive measures against India for its procurement of Russian crude oil.
