India-US partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges: MEA

New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS) India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties with the partnership having weathered several transitions and challenges, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday.

"India and the United States share a comprehensive global strategic partnership anchored in shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties. This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges. We remain focused on the substantive agenda that the two countries have committed to and are confident that the relationship will continue to move forward," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi while responding to a question on India-US ties in the wake of newly imposed tariffs by Washington.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump announced imposing 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods and an unspecified penalty over purchases from Russia, starting Friday.

"India will be paying a tariff of 25 per cent" starting on August 1, Trump posted on Truth Social.

He said that India would also face an additional tariff penalty for buying Russian energy.

Trump had set the penalty, known as secondary tariffs, across the board at 100 per cent for all who are buying Russian energy if Moscow did not reach a ceasefire with Ukraine.

The threat to India was initially viewed as a negotiating tactic by experts to force India to reach an agreement after he and his officials, like Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, had spoken optimistically that India would be among the first to make a deal.

India was among the first countries to start trade negotiations with Washington on tariffs, and Trump had repeatedly said that an agreement was imminent, most recently last week.

Trump said in his post: "Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World".

He accused India of having "the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country". e added: "They have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE".

"ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST," he wrote. Tauntingly, he signed off, “MAGA” (Make America Great Again).

--IANS

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