Energy secretary cancels India trip amid diplomatic fight

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz canceled his plans to visit India next week, an Energy Department official told The Hill on Wednesday.

{mosads}It is the latest in a serious row between the U.S. and India over the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York.

The diplomat, Devyani Khobragade, was arrested in December for allegedly underpaying her nanny and committing visa fraud to get her into the United States.

Secretary of State John Kerry attempted to calm the growing diplomatic row shortly after the arrest by expressing his “regret” over the matter.

But that didn’t help salvage Moniz’s plans.

“We have been in conversation with Indian counterparts about the dates, and we have agreed to hold the dialogue in the near future at a mutually convenient date,” the Department of Energy official said.

The U.S.-India energy partnership is “a key element of the overall strategic partnership,” the official said, adding that the U.S. regularly discusses renewable, nuclear, and regional energy project ideas with India.

The department hopes to hold the “Energy Dialogue” at a date that will “permit both sides to deliver concrete outcomes,” the official added.