In the face of President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs on Indian goods and criticism of energy and defence purchases from Russia, India on Friday said its ties with the US had overcome several challenges and New Delhi is committed to taking the relationship forward, Hindustan Times reports.
Responding to the US’s 25% reciprocal tariff that becomes effective on August 7 and an unspecified additional penalty for purchasing Russian oil, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing that India remains focused on the “substantive agenda” that the two sides have agreed on to drive the relationship. He also pointed to the potential for growing the “strong defence partnership” with the US.
At the same time, Jaiswal defended India’s procurement of energy and defence hardware from Russia, saying New Delhi and Moscow have a “steady and time-tested partnership”. He also made it clear that defence requirements are determined by India’s national security imperatives and strategic assessments.
“India and the US 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,” Jaiswal said in response to several questions regarding Trump’s tariff policy.
“We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to and are confident that the relationship will continue to move forward,” he said.
The India-US defence partnership has strengthened over the last several years and decades, he said. “There is potential for this partnership to grow further under the India-US COMPACT for the 21st century,” he added, referring to the COMPACT or Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology arrangement that was finalised when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Trump in Washington in February.
Նյութերը գեներացվում են տարբեր կայքերից արհեստական բանականության միջոցով