NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump have instructed officials to move forward with discussions on a bilateral trade agreement as soon as possible, and the US Trade Representative will visit India next week for further talks in this regard, Foreign Minister Vikram Misri said on Thursday.
Al-Masry said in a press conference in Paris that the trade agreement was one of the important issues that emerged in the meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian on Wednesday, as there was a need to ensure “some kind of certainty” in matters related to trade with the United States.
Al-Masry said that the two leaders did not meet during the past 16 months simply because Modi did not travel to the United States after February 2025 – when he last met Trump in Washington – and the US President did not visit India, and the meeting was held on Wednesday in a “good atmosphere.”
He said, “All important issues were discussed in the minds of the two leaders. One of the important issues between the two countries is the bilateral trade agreement, and the two leaders instructed their officials to move forward on this matter as soon as possible.” “US Trade Representative Jamison Greer will come to India next week and will meet the Commerce Secretary and move the talks forward.”
He said the trade deal “created a certain amount of uncertainty over the past year” and it was important to move toward “some certainty on these issues.”
The meeting between Modi and Trump was seen as an attempt to restore normalcy to bilateral relations, which came under unprecedented tensions last year after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian exports. The two sides announced an understanding on a framework for a trade agreement in February, but negotiations have continued since then, with disagreements persisting over issues such as tariffs and market access.
Al-Masry pointed out that there are “ups and downs and developments” in bilateral relations that the leaders of the two countries must deal with. He responded to a question on issues like Pakistan and cross-border terrorism that did not figure in the talks between Modi and Trump by saying that the two leaders held a short meeting that was not organized to discuss a wide range of matters.
“India’s concerns and views about everyone [these] “The issues are well known and also known to our American partners.”
In the context of the peace agreement between Iran and the United States, Al-Masry said that India is ready to work with all parties on the next steps to ensure lasting peace in West Asia.
The leaders of Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding that would lead to a cessation of hostilities and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, although Israel expressed reservations about this arrangement.
“It is natural for us to have concerns about something that has been reached, but we do not yet know exactly how things will develop on the ground,” Al-Masry said, noting that India expects the agreement to lead to sustainable peace and stability in West Asia.
“We have always expressed our readiness to contribute in any way possible. We have very strong relations with all countries in the region,” he said. “We remain in close contact with all of these partners and will be prepared to do whatever we can do, in terms of addressing the next steps.”
He added that India would prefer that the parties to the conflict put the final touches on a road map to move forward. “Now that we are at the beginning of this path, if there are ways in which we can contribute through our engagement, whether it is with Iran or with Israel, we will be prepared to do that.”
