NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, Sep 10: President Donald Trump has expressed confidence in the success of trade talks between India and the US, stating that there will be no difficulty in reaching a successful conclusion.
He expressed his excitement for speaking with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming weeks and expressed confidence that the ongoing negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of their partnership.
Trump’s comments signal a significant thaw in bilateral relations as tensions between the two countries have been at their worst phase in over two decades due to tariffs and Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
Trump has doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, including a 25% additional duty for India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. India has described the US action as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”
Trump had previously said that India and the US have a “special relationship” and there is nothing to worry about as the two countries “just have moments on occasion.” Modi responded to Trump’s positive assessment of India-US relations, saying that they have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.
Trump was disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia, stating that he got along very well with Modi and that he had been disappointed that the US has lost India and Russia to China. India has been maintaining that its energy procurement is driven by national interest and market dynamics.
In response to a question on his social media post that the US has lost India and Russia to China, Trump posted an old photo of Prime Minister Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
The post came days after the bonhomie among Modi, Xi, and Putin at a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin drew global attention. (PTI)
