WASHINGTON– India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, met with several American lawmakers this week to discuss trade relations, energy security, and the growing hydrocarbons partnership between the two countries, as tensions rise over new U.S. tariffs on Indian imports.
Kwatra held talks with Senator Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), briefing him on ongoing bilateral discussions aimed at promoting fair and mutually beneficial trade. The two also exchanged views on India’s energy security and the expanding oil and gas trade between New Delhi and Washington. “Grateful for his consistent and strong support to the India-U.S. partnership,” the envoy posted on social media after the meeting.
The Ambassador also met Congressman Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), updating him on developments in trade dialogue and the energy sector. In a separate engagement, Kwatra spoke with Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, about advancing cooperation in defense, energy, and trade.
In another discussion, Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee’s NSA and Cyber Subcommittee, was briefed on bilateral energy cooperation, including two-way oil and gas trade.
The series of meetings comes at a sensitive moment in U.S.-India relations. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods, citing India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil. The move follows a separate 25 percent tariff imposed in July.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has sharply criticized the measures, calling them “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” and insisting that the country’s energy requirements and strategic autonomy must be respected. (Source: IANS)
