WASHINGTON — India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, met U.S. Senator Steve Daines this week to discuss ongoing trade engagement, the recently signed 10-year defense framework agreement, and new opportunities for cooperation in technology and innovation.
Kwatra, in a statement shared Thursday, thanked Daines — a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee — for his continued support of closer ties between the two countries. The ambassador described the discussion as “enriching” and highlighted the senator’s role in shaping priorities for the relationship on Capitol Hill.
“We had an enriching conversation on the current bilateral trade engagement, signing of [the] 10-year defence framework agreement and opportunities of collaboration in technology and innovation between our countries,” Kwatra wrote on X. “Appreciate his leadership in steering the priorities of our bilateral relationship in the U.S. Senate.”
The meeting followed another diplomatic engagement on Wednesday, when Kwatra hosted Paul Kapur, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, at India House. Both sides said the conversation focused on shared strategic priorities and strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Kapur, in a response posted online, thanked the ambassador for the meeting and reaffirmed Washington’s interest in deepening coordination across regional and global issues.
The White House also signaled this week that President Donald Trump remains invested in the U.S.-India partnership. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “feels very positive and strongly” about the relationship and speaks “pretty frequently” with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
She cited the recent Diwali celebration at the White House — attended by Kwatra and newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor — as evidence of the administration’s engagement with Indian American communities and New Delhi.
Leavitt also confirmed that the U.S. and India are currently in “very serious discussions” on trade matters, though neither side has provided a timeline for any agreements or announcements.
Trump has previously referred to Modi as “a great person,” saying at the Diwali event that he “loves the people of India.” (Source: IANS)
