This week, a group of US trade negotiators will go to India to resume discussions on a trade deal, including a top US State Department official.
The US Embassy in India stated in a statement on Sunday that Allison Hooker, the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, will travel from Sunday to Thursday in order to further the “strategic relationship” between the two countries.
She will meet with key Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, while in Bengaluru and New Delhi. According to the announcement, Hooker will also work to promote cooperation in AI and space exploration, strengthen economic and commercial connections, and increase US exports.
According to an earlier report by Bloomberg News, Rick Switzer, the deputy US trade representative, and his staff will also be in India this week.
The two trips follow Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day visit to India at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation. In part as payback for India’s imports of Russian oil, the Indian government has been keen to reach an agreement with President Donald Trump’s administration that would likely reduce the 50% tariffs imposed by the US.
