India and US ‘actively engaged’ in trade negotiations, says new ambassador
Jacky Martens and Vikas Pandeydelhi
Getty ImagesNew US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, during his visit to Delhi, said that India and the US continue to actively participate in trade agreement negotiations.
Gor said the next call to discuss the agreement was planned for Tuesday, but did not elaborate on who would attend.
He also said that the friendship between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is real and “real friends may disagree but they will always resolve their differences in the end”.
Gor’s remarks came just days after some US officials blamed India for the delay in signing the agreement; Delhi denied this claim.
Trade negotiations between the countries have been tense since the United States imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods in August – the highest in Asia – including penalties linked to India’s purchase of Russian oil. Washington has pushed for greater access to India’s agricultural sector; This is a long-standing sticking point that Delhi has strongly resisted.
Gor, who was sworn in at the White House in November, has yet to formally present his credentials to the Indian president.
He was officially welcomed as ambassador at an event in Delhi on Monday.
The ceremony had the feel of a mini-opening, rich in pageantry and careful stage management. He was greeted with applause before addressing journalists. Aides say the ambassador’s personally selected playlist is filled with classic American songs, ranging from Lionel Richie’s Hello, It’s Me to Village People’s YMCA and Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire.
India has “no more important partner” than the US, he told reporters, adding that the bilateral relationship could become the “most important” partnership of the century.
“Remember, India is the largest country in the world, so crossing the finish line is no easy task, but we are determined to get there,” Gor said, adding that the two sides were also working closely on “other very important areas” such as security, counter-terrorism, energy, technology, education and health.
AFP via Getty ImagesOnce-warm relations between Trump and Modi have cooled in recent months over disagreements ranging from trade to his stance on mediating India’s conflict with Pakistan, although the two leaders continue to speak periodically by phone.
On Friday, Indian foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said both sides had been “close to a deal” on several occasions but were continuing negotiations.
Delhi’s comments came after US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claimed that the trade deal between the countries had stalled as Modi did not call Trump.
“Everything is arranged. I said [to the Indian side] You should get Modi to call the president. They were uncomfortable doing that, so Modi didn’t call,” Lutnick said in a podcast last week.
India said the classification of talks between Delhi and Washington was “not correct”.
Meanwhile, Trump has made various comments about India and Modi in recent days; These include a warning that Delhi will increase tariffs if it does not stop buying Russian oil.
Separately, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said last week that Trump had “green-lighted” a punitive Russia sanctions bill that, if passed by Congress, would allow higher secondary tariffs and sanctions on countries doing business with Moscow.
Jaiswal said India was “aware of the proposed bill” and was “following developments closely”.
India has become one of the biggest markets for Russian oil as Western countries refrain from purchases and impose sanctions on Moscow after Russian troops invade Ukraine in 2022. Delhi defended its decision, saying it should consider the energy needs of its large population.
However, since the tariffs came into effect, oil refineries in India have reportedly cut off energy purchases from Moscow.
Although India was among the first countries with which the US negotiated a deal, almost a year later, it is now among the last major economies to sign a trade deal with the US.
