India and the United States held “constructive and positive” discussions on an interim bilateral trade agreement, and both sides are committed to moving forward with the agreement, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday, after a US team visited New Delhi for discussions with their Indian counterparts.
A delegation from the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), led by the chief negotiator, visited India from June 1 to 4 to take forward discussions on the trade agreement. The visit came days after US Ambassador Sergio Gore announced that only “1%” of the proposed trade deal has not yet been finalized, and Washington expects to sign the agreement in the next few weeks.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a regular press conference that the negotiating team from the US Trade Representative’s office held “positive and constructive” talks with Indian interlocutors during its visit that concluded on Thursday. He said that after these discussions, the Indian side found that the United States was committed to moving forward with the bilateral trade agreement.
India and the United States had issued a joint statement on February 7 on finalizing a framework for an interim agreement on mutually beneficial trade. This framework reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to the broader negotiations on the India-US bilateral trade agreement.
The US negotiating team held discussions on a wide range of issues covering trade in goods, non-tariff and customs procedures, trade facilitation and economic security alignment, the Commerce Department said in a statement issued on Thursday.
The statement said, “The clashes were characterized by a spirit of cooperation and pragmatism, as both sides affirmed their commitment to concluding a mutually beneficial agreement that strengthens bilateral trade and economic relations.”
