CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: US Ambassador Sergio Gor has made a major statement on India-US relations. He said US President Donald Trump considers Prime Minister Narendra Modi a friend and is committed to strengthening ties with India. According to Gor, during the G20 summit to be held in the United States in December, Prime Minister Modi will be at the top of Trump’s priority list for meetings.

“Modi is at the top of Trump’s list”

In an interview to India Today TV, Sergio Gor said that if President Trump is asked which of the nearly 35 leaders coming to the G20 he would like to meet, Prime Minister Modi would be at the top of his list. Explaining the reason, Gor said Trump considers Prime Minister Modi his friend. He indicated that Modi’s visit to the United States in December may not remain limited to the formal G20 meeting and that a separate meeting between the two leaders is also possible. However, no formal announcement has yet been made about such a bilateral meeting.

“Trump still remembers his India visit”

The US Ambassador also said Trump still remembers his 2020 visit to India positively. According to Gor, whenever he speaks to Trump, the US President mentions India and his relationship with Prime Minister Modi. Gor also indicated that Trump may visit India next year, though the dates or official programme have not yet been decided.

What did he say on the India-US trade deal?

Gor also gave positive signals on the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States. He said talks on the agreement are being reorganised after the US Supreme Court’s decision, but the two countries are very close to an agreement. He expressed hope that the trade deal could be completed in the next few months. Bilateral trade between the two countries is currently said to be around $240 billion, with a target of taking it to $500 billion in the coming years.

Trust also growing in defence sector

Sergio Gor described India as a trusted defence partner of the United States. He said defence cooperation between the two countries is not limited to the purchase and sale of weapons, but is expanding into co-production, technology and joint military exercises.

Gor also described the role of the Quad in India-US relations as important. Strategic cooperation among India, the United States, Japan and Australia is considered significant in the Indo-Pacific region.

More high-level US visits to India

Gor said India should be prepared for frequent visits by senior US officials in the coming period. He also said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to visit India again in October. He said relations between the two countries are steadily expanding across several areas, including trade, defence, technology, pharmaceuticals, space and artificial intelligence.

America’s message on ties

Sergio Gor described India-US relations as continuously strengthening. He said growing trade, defence cooperation and high-level political contact between the two countries reflect the strength of this partnership. In this context, the G20 summit in December could prove to be an important milestone for a Modi-Trump meeting and for progress on the India-US trade agreement. However, an official announcement is still awaited on the final status of any possible bilateral meeting or trade agreement.

Hashtags: #NationalIndia #Bhopal #SergioGor #DonaldTrump #NarendraModi #IndiaUSRelations #G20 #G20Summit #TradeDeal #DefenceCooperation