US lawmakers hail ties with India, but cite Russia worry

Questions about India’s ties with Russia, including President Vladimir Putin's recent trip to New Delhi, competition with China and the future of ties between New Delhi and Washington dominated proceedings during a hearing on the US-India relationship in the US House of Representatives held on Wednesday.

- Shashank Mattoo

Members of the Republican and Democratic parties who sit on the subcommittee of South and Central Asia questioned a panel of experts about the relationship during the hearing. Representatives on both sides of the aisle acknowledged the importance of the partnership and its value to both nations.

“The US-India is no longer just important. It is a defining relationship of the 21st century. If America wants a free Indo-Pacific, resilient supply chains and a world where democracy -and not authoritarianism - sets the rules, then our partnership with India is critical,” said senior Republican Congressman Bill Huizenga, who helms the subcommittee on South Asia.