Iran oil imports, trade top agenda during US Secretary Mike Pompeo's visit to India

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his India visit will attempt to soo increasing friction with New Delhi over tre, data flow, arms from Russia and Iran oil imports and focus on strategic ties between two big world democracies, a senior official from  US State Department said on Friday.

"While in New Delhi, Secretary Pompeo is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who's really one of visionaries behind expansion of US-India Strategic Partnership," senior official ded.

Pompeo will arrive in New Delhi on Tuesday for talks that are aimed at laying ground for an upcoming meeting between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi later in week at a G20 meeting in Osaka, Japan.

He will also eng in talks with MEA Jaishankar specifically about expanding security, energy, and cooperation, among or things.  Secretary is furr scheduled to meet Indian business leers to discuss a vision for ecomic dimension of US-India partnership. He is also planning to dress a garing in New Delhi,  official said.

India is currently engd in disputes with  United States over tariffs, hence tre is obviously going to be a major topic of discussion in his meetings.

"We want both of our nations to thrive. I'm certain that Secretary will convey during his visit extraordinary potential to realise collective strength of our ecomies if re's a fair and reciprocal approach to tre relationship,"  senior official told reporters.

Ar issue that has alarmed India is possibility of US restrictions on work visas for Indian professionals in retaliation for New Delhi's insistence on local data stor by big foreign firms, to which official assured that Washington has such plans.

"Indians have contributed under H-1B program to US ecomy, and I think Secretary will be able to assure Indian leership that we have plans to place caps on H-1B work visas for nations that are having foreign companies store data locally," official ted.

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In dition, new tensions have spiked over New Delhi's plans to buy S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Moscow, a move that can trigger Washington to impose sanctions under its Countering American versaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), furr prohibiting any engment with Russia's defence sector.

"With respect to S-400, we're urging all of our allies and partners, India included, foregoing transactions with Russia that risk triggering CAATSA sanctions. I think this is time where we will be encouraging India to look at alternatives (S-400)," official ded.

A major discussion on Iran sanctions is expected to top table during visit, along with India's concerns on energy security, official said.

"We've engd with Indians in a conversation as to how to preserve an exemption for Chabahar Port, which allows India to continue essential humanitarian supplies to Afghanistan as well as to provide Afghanistan with ecomic alternatives. So I expect Iran will be on nda, but again, this is an area where we've succeeded in working well with India," official concluded.

official finally ted that both US and India are gearing up for first ever tri-service military exercise with India in  Bay of Bengal later this year to increase force interoperability followed by ar 2+2 dialogue.

Pompeo will visit India from June 25-27, first high-level engment between India and  United States after NDA's return to power for a second term.

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