In India  America has a friend US Embassy shares JD Vance s message on bilateral ties

The US Embassy in India has once again struck a notably warm diplomatic note, publicly praising India and underscoring the depth of bilateral ties at a time when New Delhi and Washington are engaged in delicate negotiations to push forward a long-pending trade agreement. In a post on X on Thursday, the embassy quoted US Vice President JD Vance, saying, “In India, America has a friend, and we seek to strengthen the warm bonds our great nations already share.” The post was accompanied by a photograph from Vance’s April 2025 visit to India, when he made the aforementioned comment, showing him walking alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The message follows closely on the heels of another “surprise” social media post by the embassy earlier this week, in which it quoted US President Donald Trump describing Modi as a “great friend” and India as a key strategic partner for the United States in the Indo-Pacific. Taken together, all of this is seen as a signal of political goodwill and continuity in the India-US relationship. Diplomatic sources view the embassy’s affirmative tone as significant, coming amid ongoing efforts by both sides to bridge differences and advance a fair, balanced and mutually beneficial trade deal. While official negotiations remain complex and, at times, contentious, the messaging suggests a conscious attempt to keep the broader strategic partnership insulated from economic frictions. The renewed praise also aligns with recent high-level engagement between the two capitals. Last week, Prime Minister Modi and President Trump held a telephone conversation to review progress under the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and explore ways to expand cooperation in trade, critical and emerging technologies, energy, defence and security. Both leaders reportedly expressed satisfaction over the steady strengthening of bilateral ties.

Trade, however, remains the most sensitive pillar of the relationship. Earlier this month, a high-level US trade delegation led by Deputy US Trade Representative Ambassador Rick Schweitzer visited New Delhi for introductory and exploratory talks with senior Indian officials. The visit was widely seen as a stock-taking exercise aimed at setting the tone for the next phase of negotiations on a multi-sectoral bilateral trade agreement.

Despite shared strategic interests, trade ties have been strained by Washington’s decision to double tariffs on certain Indian goods to 50 per cent and impose an additional 25 per cent levy on imports linked to India’s purchases of Russian crude. New Delhi has termed the measures “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” while maintaining that it remains open to constructive engagement.

Against this backdrop, the US Embassy’s public messaging is being interpreted as a deliberate effort to reinforce trust and signal that, notwithstanding trade irritants, the India-US partnership remains anchored in shared democratic values, strategic convergence and long-term mutual interest.

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Courtesy: The Tribune -19-Dec-2025