By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The US on Friday said it would stand for India and reiterated that New Delhi’s relationship with Moscow developed over several decades when the US was not ready to partner with the Indian government. The statement comes amid the attempts of the Biden administration to discourage India from importing crude oil from sanctions-hit Russia.
“All throughout we have made clear to our Indian partners that we are there for them, we are ready and able and willing to partner with them, and we’ve done just that. Of course, we had a 2+2 dialogue with our Indian partners not too long ago. We will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again in the context of the I2-U2,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price at White House.
The US views India as a strategic partner against China in the Indo-Pacific and it is for the same reason that it has been discounting India’s relationship with Russia. Regarding human rights and freedom of religion, Price said: “The Indian people and the American people believe in the same values: Human dignity, equality of opportunity and the freedom of religion. These are fundamental tenets within any democracy and we speak up for them around the world.”
