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US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor on Monday struck an optimistic note about stalled trade talks and said the next round of negotiations will start tomorrow.
Speaking at the US embassy in Delhi, Gor said that "both sides continue to actively engage and the next call will take place tomorrow".
Gor is expected to formally take charge later this week after presenting credentials to President Droupadi Murmu. He will also simultaneously hold the charge of US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy to South and Central Asia.
Downplaying the rift between the two countries in Trump's second term, Gor said that Trump's "friendship with Prime Minister Modi is real" and the India-US relationship is anchored at the highest levels.
Gor further said, "Real friends can disagree, but they always resolve their differences. Our Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said this will be a year of reciprocity with fair trade, mutual respect, and shared security."
In Trump's second term, the India-US relationship has plunged to the lowest point since the end of the Cold War as he has taken positions adverse to India on all subjects ranging from the Kashmir dispute to Operation Sindoor. He has also slapped India with 50 per cent tariffs — the highest in the world. He has also repeatedly singled out India and blamed it for driving the Russian war machine. While he has plunged ties with India, he has ramped up ties with Pakistan.
But Gor sought to downplay the tensions and said that "while trade is important, we will also continue working closely on key areas such as security and counterterrorism".
As for the India-US relationship, Gor further said, "I come to this remarkable nation with profound respect and a clear mission to take the partnership between our two great nations to the next level. This is the intersection of the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy."
Speaking at the US embassy in Delhi, Gor said that "both sides continue to actively engage and the next call will take place tomorrow".
Gor is expected to formally take charge later this week after presenting credentials to President Droupadi Murmu. He will also simultaneously hold the charge of US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy to South and Central Asia.
Downplaying the rift between the two countries in Trump's second term, Gor said that Trump's "friendship with Prime Minister Modi is real" and the India-US relationship is anchored at the highest levels.
Gor further said, "Real friends can disagree, but they always resolve their differences. Our Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said this will be a year of reciprocity with fair trade, mutual respect, and shared security."
In Trump's second term, the India-US relationship has plunged to the lowest point since the end of the Cold War as he has taken positions adverse to India on all subjects ranging from the Kashmir dispute to Operation Sindoor. He has also slapped India with 50 per cent tariffs — the highest in the world. He has also repeatedly singled out India and blamed it for driving the Russian war machine. While he has plunged ties with India, he has ramped up ties with Pakistan.
But Gor sought to downplay the tensions and said that "while trade is important, we will also continue working closely on key areas such as security and counterterrorism".
As for the India-US relationship, Gor further said, "I come to this remarkable nation with profound respect and a clear mission to take the partnership between our two great nations to the next level. This is the intersection of the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy."
