Committed to move forward in ties with US based on mutual respect, shared interests: India

Economic Times

7 hours ago

Despite recent trade tensions with the US, India expresses optimism for continued bilateral relations based on mutual respect and shared interests. The robust India-US defense partnership remains a crucial element, with a significant military exercise planned for August in Alaska. India dismissed the US State Department's human rights report, citing its biased assessment and misunderstanding of India's democratic framework.
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India on Thursday hoped that its relationship with the US will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests, in remarks that came amid strain in ties between the two countries following President Donald Trump slapping 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods.External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said that the India-US defence partnership remains an important pillar of the ties, adding an important military exercise between the two sides is scheduled for August."We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to and we hope that the relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests," he said.Jaiswal was responding to questions on the future of India-US relations at his weekly media briefing."India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values and robust people-to-people ties. This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges," he said.The ties between India and the US are reeling under some strain because of Trump's tariff policy.After imposing a reciprocal tariff of 25 per cent on India, Trump slapped an additional 25 per cent duties on Indian goods for its continuing purchases of Russian crude oil.Over the last few months, India and the US held several rounds of negotiations for a bilateral trade deal but it could not be sealed in view of sharp divergences in certain critical areas including agriculture and dairy.The bilateral trade between India and the US was around USD 130 billion last year and there was a projection of upward mobility in the volume.Jaiswal said the India-US defence relations remained robust.The defence partnership, "underpinned by foundational defence agreements", is an important pillar of the bilateral partnership, he said.This robust cooperation has strengthened across all domains, he noted."We are expecting a US Defence Policy Team to be in Delhi in mid-August.The 21st edition of the joint military exercise 'Yudh Abhyas' is also expected to take place later this month in Alaska," Jaiswal said."Both sides remain engaged to convene the 2+2 Inter-sessional meeting at the working-level towards the end of the month," he added."As far as the question of defence acquisition is concerned, the procurement processes continue as per established procedures," Jaiswal said, rejecting reports that India has paused purchases of military hardware from the US.To a separate query on the US state department's annual human rights report criticising India, he said such reports are a "mix of imputations, misrepresentations and one-sided projections that demonstrate a poor understanding of India's democratic framework, pluralistic society and robust institutional mechanisms for protecting human rights.""We do not attach any credence to such biased assessments. We remain focused on advancing human rights for our people through inclusive governance and development," he said.