What Did the Indian Envoy Discuss with Republican Majority Leader?

Washington, Sep 19 (NationPress) As part of his ongoing engagements with influential figures in the United States, Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra met with Steve Scalise, the Republican Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, in Washington on Friday.

Sharing the details on X, the Ambassador stated: “It was a privilege to meet with Republican Majority Leader Steve Scalise today, who extended warm wishes for PM Modi’s birthday. We talked about the numerous positive strides in our relationship across economic, defense, and energy sectors, further fortifying the bilateral strategic partnership.”

On the previous day, the Indian Ambassador also met with John Moolenaar, the Chairman of the House Select Committee on China, where they discussed the importance of the India-US relationship.

A statement from the Select Committee highlighted that they covered topics such as regional security, manufacturing, trade, and initiatives aimed at “shifting critical manufacturing from China to India.”

Moolenaar emphasized India's role as an “essential partner for global security,” noting its firsthand experience with the aggressiveness of the Chinese Communist Party.

“India stands as the world’s largest democracy and a crucial ally for global stability. It has faced aggression from the CCP directly and is a key US security partner with a growing defense industrial relationship that safeguards American citizens,” he remarked.

Moolenaar also acknowledged New Delhi as a global leader in “combating malign CCP-directed technology and social media enterprises.”

“India understands that being a free and secure nation means not allowing the CCP to manipulate and control information accessed by its people. Today’s meeting with Ambassador Kwatra reinforced the US-India strategic partnership, and I am optimistic that our nations will continue to foster a stronger friendship rooted in shared values,” Moolenaar expressed.

Earlier in the week, Kwatra also had a discussion with a senior Pentagon official from the Trump administration, Elbridge Colby, the Undersecretary of War for Policy.

“I had a fruitful conversation with the insightful Elbridge Colby. We reviewed our current agenda and outlined actionable paths on several initiatives related to India-US defense cooperation. I appreciate his profound knowledge, perspective, and unwavering support for our strategic partnership,” Kwatra posted on X.

Colby echoed this sentiment, describing the meeting as a “valuable discussion.”

“I was delighted to host Ambassador Kwatra at the Pentagon earlier this week for an insightful dialogue. We at the Department of War eagerly anticipate advancing our critical defense cooperation with India,” he shared on X.

The Ambassador’s recent engagements come in the wake of resumed bilateral trade discussions and a reduction in tensions following US President Donald Trump’s birthday phone call to Prime Minister Modi earlier this week.

During his State Visit to the United Kingdom on Thursday, Trump reminisced about his dialogues with PM Modi.

“I hold a close relationship with India. I have a strong bond with the Prime Minister of India. Recently, I wished him a happy birthday. Our relationship is robust, and he also released a wonderful statement,” he remarked.