A senior US diplomat met India’s ambassador to the United States on Tuesday in a bid to get bilateral relations back on track after the arrest and strip search of a female Indian diplomat and tit-for-tat evictions.
Deputy Secretary of State William Burns hosted a “productive” lunch meeting with Indian Ambassador S. Jaishankar and both sides avowed the importance of the U.S.-India strategic partnership and “discussed initial preparations for a range of upcoming bilateral meetings and exchanges,” a statement from the US State Department said.
“They agreed that the past several weeks have been challenging, and affirmed that we are both committed to moving forward to resume cooperation on the broad range of bilateral issues,” the statement said.
The two officials also discussed matters raised by India’s Foreign Ministry during the dispute, including alleged issues with the American Embassy School, the statement said. Burns said Washington took the concerns “very seriously and will continue to address them via appropriate diplomatic channels.”
On Saturday, India blamed the United States for what it called a “mini crisis” over the arrest and strip search of its deputy consul general in New York last month and said more work was needed to repair ties.
The Indian diplomat, Devyani Khobragade, 39, was arrested in December on charges of visa fraud and false statements about payment to her housekeeper. Her treatment provoked protests in India and dealt a serious blow to U.S. efforts to strengthen ties.