Indian Ambassador meets experts at conservative think tank in Washington

Washington, Nov 20 (IANS) India’s Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra on Thursday met experts and analysts from the conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, in Washington.

In a post on X, Kwatra wrote, “Had an excellent roundtable discussion with the experts at the @Heritage Foundation, a strong supporter of the India-U.S. ties. I shared my thoughts on developments under key pillars of our strategic partnership, including shared economic priorities, a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial trade arrangement and oil and gas trade.”

The Heritage Foundation is an influential think tank, closely aligned with the Trump administration's policies and priorities.

In recent months, the Indian ambassador has intensified his engagement efforts and has interacted with multiple stakeholders in the country.

On Wednesday, the ambassador met the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Jason Smith. Kwatra posted on X, “Honoured to meet with @WaysandMeansGOP Chairman @RepJasonSmith today - briefed him on India-US discussions on a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial trade deal. Appreciate his strong support for bilateral trade ties.”

He also met Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan and posted on X, “Had a productive conversation with @RepHoulahan on India-US bilateral relations. We discussed recent developments on trade, defence, energy and opportunities for both countries to collaborate in AI and other future tech domains. Thanked her for her continuous support of the partnership.”

On November 7, Kwatra held discussions with Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur at the State Department office in Washington.

The State Department Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs posted on X, quoting Paul Kapur, “I thank @AmbVMKwatra for visiting me at the @StateDept this morning. Discussed common interests and ways to advance the U.S.-India partnership. Looking forward to continuing the conversation.”

Earlier that week, the ambassador had also hosted Kapur at his residence in Washington.

Kwatra had posted on X, "Delighted to host Assistant Secretary Paul Kapur @State_SCA at India House. Had an engaging discussion on shared priorities and strengthening the India-US Bilateral Relations."

The meetings come as both countries are expected to formalise the first tranche of the trade agreement soon.

--IANS

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