White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt, the official residence and office of the US President, said President Donald Trump feels “very positive” about the future of India-US relations. “I believe the President feels very positive and strong about this,” Levitt said at a press conference on Tuesday in response to a question about the future of India-US relations. As you know, a few weeks ago, on the occasion of Diwali, he met several senior Indian-American officials in the Oval Office and during that time he also spoke to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) on phone.
He also said that US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore is an “excellent” representative who will represent Washington very well. “The President and his trade team are having serious discussions with India on related issues,” Levitt said. President Trump respects Prime Minister Modi very much and there are frequent talks between the two.
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Last month, Trump hosted a Diwali celebration in the Oval Office, which was attended by India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra, several prominent Indian-American business leaders and community representatives. Trump had also wished Diwali to Prime Minister Modi over phone. On this, Modi had said that he hopes that both India and America will together continue to illuminate the world with a ray of hope and remain united against terrorism.
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India-US relations
Leavitt’s comment comes just days after former US President Trump claimed that India has drastically reduced its purchases of Russian oil. He described New Delhi as “very good” on the issue during his recent five-day visit to Asia. His comment is another in the series of statements made since mid-October in which Prime Minister Modi had assured him that India would curb or stop the import of crude oil from Moscow.
Trump’s claims are part of his administration’s broader efforts to isolate Russia economically through sanctions and energy embargoes amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Earlier this month, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded to Trump’s statements by reiterating that the country’s energy sourcing decisions are taken solely with national interests and consumer welfare in mind.
So far, five rounds of negotiations have been completed for the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement between India and the US. However, relations between the two countries have become strained after Washington’s decision in August to impose hefty 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods – including an additional 25 percent import duty tied to India’s continued purchases of Russian crude.
New Delhi had sharply criticized the move, calling it “unfair, unfair and imprudent”, while Trump described US-India trade relations as a “complete one-sided disaster”.