The American president Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that Washington and New Delhi are close to finalizing a highly anticipated trade agreement, during discussions with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Group of Seven summit in France.
“We have been here for a while, and he is a very tough negotiator, one of the toughest, in fact,” Trump said when asked about the status of the negotiations. The president described Modi as a long-time friend. He indicated he would travel to India at some point, without specifying a date.
This meeting marked the first in-person discussions between the two leaders since Modi’s visit to the White House earlier this year. The two countries have been working to normalize their relations after a year of tensions related to American tariffs, Pakistan, and the war in Iran.
The meeting took place in the wake of a recent American attack on ships crewed by Indian personnel in the Gulf of Oman region.
Modi addressed the issue during his remarks to Trump at a press conference. “We have always asserted that freedom of navigation must be guaranteed,” said the Prime Minister. Thousands of Indian sailors “are serving on the world’s seas in the maritime trade sector. I believe their security is just as important,” he added.
Modi expressed his confidence that “the safety of mariners will be ensured and will be a priority” as part of the peace agreement between the United States and Iran.
The United States and India are working toward finalizing an interim trade agreement agreed in February. That agreement was originally due to be signed in March, but was delayed following a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that invalidated Trump’s reciprocal tariffs. Under the proposed arrangement, Indian exports would be subject to an 18% tariff, compared with a 50% rate announced last year.
Indian and American trade negotiators have met twice since March, notably in Washington in April and during a four-day meeting this month in New Delhi. The U.S. Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, is set to travel to India later this month to push the talks forward.
