1. US Secretary of State for Energy Resources, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, employs a culinary metaphor to depict the evolving trade ties between India and the United States.
2. According to Pyatt, the trade relationship is no longer “shallow like a ‘Chapati'” but has grown to be “big and bloated like a ‘Puri.'”
3. This analogy emphasizes the significant growth and strengthening of bilateral trade and investment between the two nations.
Washington D.C. Feb 06: US Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey R. Pyatt has used a unique culinary metaphor to describe the evolving trade relationship between India and the United States.
He claimed that trade relations between the two countries were no longer “shallow like a ‘Chapati'” but had expanded and become “big and bloated like a ‘Puri'”.
This statement was made during a discussion on foreign trade agreements between the two countries and highlighted the significant growth and strengthening of bilateral trade and investment relations.
“Today no one characterizes their business relationship as flatly as a ‘chapati’. It is big and swollen like a ‘puri’. I believe we are not currently engaged in free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with India, but we are engaged in important and ongoing negotiations on how we can facilitate the further deepening of our trade relationship,” Pyatt said in a virtual briefing.
The US official’s comments reflect the dynamic nature of the India-US trade partnership, which has seen a significant increase in US goods exports to India to $47.2 billion in 2022.
This represents a 17.9 percent increase over the previous year and a 113 per cent increase since 2012. Responding to a question on India-US relations over energy security amid the Red Sea crisis, Pyatt praised the Indian Navy for its quick action in rescuing a tanker from an attack by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
He said the Indian Navy’s action demonstrates India’s capability as a network security provider that benefits the US, he reported.
“We live in a time of unprecedented upheaval in the international system. What is happening to global container shipping as container shipping has been diverted and what impact has this had on inflation? The Indian Navy intervened to rescue a tanker that was lost in flames as a result of a Houthi missile attack,” he said.
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“It was the Indian Navy that came to the aid of this ship. This demonstrates India’s capability as a network security provider across the region, which benefits the United States,” he added.
Pyatt, who visited India from January 26 to 31, said he spoke to Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri about the disruption in global energy markets following the Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. the war between Israel and Hamas and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“Our shared interest lies in the stability of global energy markets and in providing the energy our citizens need, and we do this in a way that minimizes the carbon footprint,” he said.
Since November last year, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched attacks in the Red Sea, saying they are targeting ships linked to Israel as the war rages on in Gaza. The rebels, justifying their actions in support of Palestinians in Gaza, have vowed to continue their attacks until Israel stops fighting.
