FM meets US delegation, discusses geopolitical development and India-US interests

New Delhi, Oct 6 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday held an interaction with a US delegation and discussed current geopolitical developments and matters of shared interest between India and the US.

The US delegation was led by Walter Russell Mead, a distinguished fellow of the Hudson Institute.

"Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs @nsitharaman interacted with a US delegation led by Mr Walter Russell Mead, @HudsonInstitute, in New Delhi, today," the Ministry of Finance said in a post on X.

"Discussions focused on geopolitical developments and shared interests within the India-US partnership," the ministry added.

According to the ministry, the delegation comprised representatives from leading US institutions such as the Hudson Institute, American Enterprise Institute, Eagle Capital Management, Crow Holdings and Rationalwave Capital Partners.

Amid an ongoing rift over tariffs between India and the US, the resumption of trade talks has come as a big relief for traders and manufacturers in India.

Earlier this month, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer called India’s approach in trade negotiations “pragmatic” and said the two sides are “trying to negotiate a deal.”

During a fireside chat at the Economic Club of New York, Greer spoke about the continuing negotiations with India.

“The Indians are being pragmatic. We have actually been having conversations with the Indians from day one of the administration on the trade side of the ledger. So, when you talk about a 50 per cent tariff on India, half of that 25 per cent is really the trade-related. It's the reciprocal tariff. It's where we're trying to negotiate a deal," he added.

The statement came days after Greer met Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in New York on September 22.

On the fringes of the UN General Assembly last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.

Following the discussions, Rubio praised the continued trade exchange and stated that India is of "critical" importance to his nation.

--IANS

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