New Delhi: India today spoke in conciliatory language on the issue of its senior diplomat Devyani Khobragade's case, saying that it was important to “preserve” the “valuable” Indo-US relationship even as the US ruled out the demand for dropping the charges against her.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid sounded hopeful of finding a way out when he told reporters here, “We are going to find a solution. And I hope that we will find a solution.”
A day after he demanded dropping of charges against Khobragade unconditionally, Khurshid today said, “I am conscious of the fact that this is a valuable relationship between two countries” while dealing with the “hurtful” and “unacceptable” treatment meted out to our diplomat.
The two countries have been in touch during the last two days to resolve the diplomatic stand-off created by the arrest and strip search of Khobragade, Deputy Consul General in New York who is now transferred to India's Permanent Mission at UN, on the charges of visa fraud.
She has been accused of underpaying her maid as per the US law. Wendy Sherman, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, has had lengthy conversation with Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh on Wednesday and Thursday in a bid to find a way out. According to sources, they discussed “specific steps” to resolve the issue.
