Washington DC, Aug. 9 -- India remains a key strategic partner for the United States, the US State Department emphasised on Thursday amid mounting tensions between New Delhi and Washington. The department's principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott told reporters that America would pursue a "full and frank" dialogue with India. "What I can say in terms of India is that the President (Donald Trump) has been very clear in terms of the concerns he has regarding the trade imbalance, regarding the concerns he has when it comes to the (Indian) purchase of Russian oil. You have seen him take action directly on that," Pigott said at a press briefing in response to a question about Prime Minister Modi's reported upcoming visit to China for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). "India is a strategic partner with whom we engage in a full and frank dialogue. That will continue and Secretary Rubio has spoken on that. Like anything in foreign policy, you are not going to align 100% of the time on everything," he added. Pigott's statements come as a shift in tone even as India-US tensions rise over Indian purchases of Russian energy and Trump's decision to levy a 50% tariff on India. India has pushed back at President Trump's tariff levies, terming them "unfair, unreasonable and unjustified". India's ministry of external affairs also took aim at US and European purchases of energy, chemicals and fertilisers from Russia as evidence of a double standard. Tensions with America have also sparked a flurry of diplomatic activity. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with President Lula of Brazil, and on Friday, with President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Both India and Brazil face a 50% tariff from the United States and the two leaders have had increasingly strained relations with US President Donald Trump. They agreed to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. HT earlier reported that the bureaucracies in New Delhi and Washington are attempting to steady the relationship....