US aid chief visits India amid food dispute
THE US aid chief visited India for talks on global food shortages, as New Delhi's policies on the Ukraine war test its emerging partnership with Washington.
Samantha Power, administrator of the US Agency for International Development, visited India from Monday (25) through Wednesday and ‘discussed the global food security crisis,' USAID said in a statement.
Power, who met with officials, civil society and experts, showed 'US commitment to partnering with India, the world's largest democracy, as a global development leader in addressing some of the world's most pressing development challenges,' it said.
US-India relations have grown close in recent decades, with shared concerns on a rising China and the threat of Islamist extremism.
But India has steered clear of criticizing its historic defense partner Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and has sought to buy Russian oil at a discount despite Western attempts to choke off funds for Moscow.
After Russia blockaded ports in Ukraine, a major grain exporter, India in May sought to protect domestic supply by banning exports of wheat grain, sparking a record surge in global prices.
In a speech earlier this week, Power did not criticize India explicitly but called on countries 'unwilling to criticize the Russian government's belligerence' to end their export bans on food.
Power arrived in India from the Horn of Africa, where there have been accounts of children dying of malnutrition as droughts aggravated by climate change also take a toll.
Ukraine and Russia on Friday signed a deal negotiated in Turkey to unblock grain exports, raising hopes of easing the global food crisis.
India's merchandise exports during the first six months of the calendar year 2022 jumped about 27 percent to $235bn, compared with $185.9bn in the year-ago period. The country's imports during January-June 2022 stood at $361.1bn, against $258.6bn in the corresponding period last year, according to official data.
‘The total merchandise export was $421.9bn during 2021-22 against the export target of $400bn, achieving 105.4 percent of the export target,' the commerce and industry ministry said.