India on Wednesday conveyed to visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that it will follow its “national interest” on issues related to trade and energy supplies.
In a joint media briefing following the delegation-level talks in New Delhi, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said it is in everyone's interest to know that global energy supply remains “uninterrupted and predictable”. Jaishankar said he was assured that Pompeo “understood this”.
“We discussed the situation in the Gulf, I shared our interests and concerns with Secretary Pompeo, energy security is part of it. But there are other concerns as well about diaspora, regional security and trade", Jaishankar said, adding that Chabahar Port did not come up in the talks today because India does not have any outstanding concern there at the moment.
On the niggling trade issues that have been impacting bilateral relations, Pompeo said: “India is an important friend and partner for America. We’re looking at the issues at the moment. We will find a way to work through them".
“We can see each other not just as bilateral partners, but something much bigger than that, so that we can help each other all around the world", the US Secretary of State added during the media briefing held in New Delhi.
The two countries discussed trade issues related to e-commerce policy, revoking of trade privilege partner status, and tariffs on several products.
“On some outstanding issues, particularly issues related to trade, I urged that we take a pragmatic and constructive view… our real test of our intention is to address them effectively", Jaishankar who took charge of the Indian External Ministry said.
This bilateral meeting was considered as a preparatory talk for the the Trump-Modi meeting scheduled for later this week on the sidelines of G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.
