New Delhi, March 31 : As Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in India, the Biden administration’s points person for sanctions against Moscow, Deputy NSA Daleep Singh, on Thursday held talks with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on advancing bilateral economic relations and the strategic partnership. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet: “Foreign Secretary @harshvshringla met US Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics & G20 Sherpa Daleep Singh. “Discussed India-US economic cooperation & strategic partnership. Look forward to working together on global issues of mutual interest, including in G20.” The Indian-American official arrived on Wednesday on a two-day visit to hold talks with Indian officials on Ukraine. He met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is also in India to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today, with the focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US said “Singh will meet with Government of India officials to deepen cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth and prosperity, and a free and open Indo-Pacific. Singh will consult closely with counterparts on the consequences of Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine and mitigating its impact on the global economy. “Singh will also discuss priorities of the Biden Administration, including the promotion of high-quality infrastructure through Build Back Better World and the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.” Singh’s visit also comes ahead of the planned India-US 2+2 talks which are to be held this year. Singh, 46, is from North Carolina, and was recently appointed as Biden’s deputy national-security adviser for international economics. RN