Publicly their common refrain was that the bilateral relationship was extremely valuable, though Washington continued to harp on their line that Khobragade would not enjoy diplomatic immunity "retroactively". She has since been transferred to the Indian Mission to the UN to give her full immunity.
External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid maintained his conciliatory tone when he termed the relationship "extremely exceptionally valuable", a sentiment reciprocated by the US State Department which said, "it is important to preserve and protect our partnership".
In Washington, a State Department Spokesperson said the US was "continuing the conversation with our Indian counterparts privately" to resolve the situation arising out of the arrest and strip search of Khobragade in a visa fraud case.
Asking the US to "understand the value of the relationship", Khurshid asked whether it was "unreasonable" for India to expect Washington to allow its diplomat to serve with dignity.
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