India Wants US Ties With Mutual Respect, Says Arms Deals Still on

India said on Thursday it hoped relations with the United States would move forward on a basis of mutual respect and shared interests.

Officials were keen to hose down concern that bilateral ties were headed downhill after high tariffs were imposed by President Trump.

A US defence policy team will be in New Delhi this month for talks with Indian officials and its arms purchases from the US are on course despite the strain in ties, the Indian foreign ministry said.

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Friendly ties built over recent years between the two countries hit a rough patch recently when the US President raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50% last week from an earlier 25%, saying it was a penalty for India’s continued imports of Russian oil.

New Delhi has accused the US of double standards in singling it out for Russian oil imports and called the tariffs unfair, unjustified and unreasonable.

Other factors, such as President Trump’s recent lunch with Pakistan’s army chief, also upset India’s leadership as well as his stinging criticism of Delhi’s “dead economy.”

At the same time, India’s foreign office indicated that the warming of ties that began at the turn of the century covers a wide range of areas and should not be seen only through the prism of trade, although it hopes that trade talks will continue and result in a deal.

“This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges… and we hope that the relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing.

Purchases of military equipment from Washington were on course, Jaiswal said, adding that a US defence policy team was expected in Delhi this month.

Reuters reported last week that India had put plans to procure new US weapons and aircraft on hold and that a planned trip to Washington by the Indian defence minister had been cancelled.

The Indian government subsequently said reports of a pause in the talks were wrong.