US Envoy Pick Says Trump Invited Indian Ministers To Washington Next Week

Gor, during a lengthy hearing for his Senate confirmation on Thursday, in which he repeatedly described India as a “strategic partner” and “cornerstone of regional stability”, also told the foreign relations committee that Trump has invited an Indian delegation to Washington next week for talks that could finalise a deal within weeks.

“We’re actively negotiating with the Indians right now. In fact, the President has invited their commerce and their trade minister to come visit us next week,” Gor testified. “We’re not that far apart right now on a deal. In fact, they’re negotiating down to the nitty gritty of a deal.”

The optimistic testimony marks strengthening of what has been a significant turnaround in India-US ties in recent days following weeks of turbulence that derailed trade talks scheduled in New Delhi on August 25. In late August and early September, Trump administration officials called India an “oil money laundromat for the Kremlin” and demanded New Delhi choose between America and Russia-China alignment, especially after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Beijing with Russian president Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.