Modi at top of Trump’s G20 meeting list, India-US trade deal ‘very close’: Sergio Gor

Gor pointed to the close personal relationship between Modi and Trump while highlighting what he described as growing momentum in bilateral ties.

Speaking to India Today TV in an exclusive interview, the ambassador said he expected Modi’s visit to Florida to involve more than the multilateral summit, although no separate bilateral meeting between the two leaders has been officially announced.

“If you asked the President, ‘You have 35 people coming. Who do you want to see?’, the Prime Minister would be at the top of that list,” Gor said.

“Because the President considers the Prime Minister a friend, I anticipate that there will be more to that visit than just a group meeting,” he added.

Gor hints at possible Trump visit to India

Gor also indicated that Trump could return to India next year, saying the US President continued to remember his 2020 visit to the country positively.

“Every single time I speak to him, he remembers very fondly the incredible visit that he had here, the incredible people he met and, of course, his dear friend, the Prime Minister,” Gor said.

Trump visited India in February 2020 during his first presidential term, travelling to Ahmedabad, Agra and New Delhi.

India-US trade deal ‘very close’

On the proposed India-US trade agreement, Gor said negotiations were being reworked following a US Supreme Court ruling, but maintained that both sides remained close to reaching an agreement.

“The trade deal is being reworked after the Supreme Court’s unfortunate decision, but we are very close,” he said.

Gor expressed hope that the agreement could be completed within the next few months, while acknowledging that negotiations involving major economies can take considerable time.

“People ask me, ‘It has been a year’, but the European Union has been negotiating for more than 20 years and it is still not done. We are way ahead of a lot of other partners,” he said.

The ambassador said the proposed pact would create economic opportunities for both countries as New Delhi and Washington continue to work towards expanding bilateral trade.

India-US bilateral trade currently stands at around $240 billion. Modi and Trump have set a target of raising the figure to $500 billion over the coming years.

Gor credits Modi with stability in India

Gor also praised Modi's leadership, saying stability in India had strengthened the country’s position as a partner for the United States.

“India doing well is a great thing for us. We want a stable India. We want to work with a stable India,” he said.

The ambassador highlighted the flow of investments between the two countries, saying the US Embassy in India had helped facilitate $24 billion in new investment into the United States.

At the same time, American companies are expanding their presence in India across several sectors.

“Whether that is Microsoft or Google, data centres, AI centres or pharmaceutical companies, there is so much happening between our two countries,” Gor said.

India a ‘trusted defence partner’

Gor described India as a trusted defence partner of the United States and stressed that military cooperation between the two countries goes beyond arms sales.

“Our defence relationship is not just about sales. It is also about trust. The United States does not sell military equipment to every country,” he said.

He cited cooperation involving Javelin missiles, Apache helicopters and discussions over additional defence equipment as examples of the expanding partnership.

Gor also highlighted the scale of joint military exercises between the two countries, saying India conducts more military drills with the United States than with any other country.

More senior US officials expected in India

The ambassador said India should “get used to” more frequent visits by senior US officials as Washington seeks to deepen its engagement with New Delhi.

He confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to return to India in October, following his earlier four-day visit.

“This is very rare, that the Secretary of State would come twice in such a short time. My message was very clear: get used to it,” Gor said.

He added that visits by several other US Cabinet officials were also being planned, although details had not yet been announced. Three governors from major US states were also expected to travel to India before the end of the year.

Gor said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar could visit the United States three times over the next four months, including for engagements linked to the United Nations and the G20.

“The numbers don’t lie. The relationship is on a constant rise, and it will continue to move that way for the foreseeable future,” he said.

US pushes for Quad leaders’ summit

Gor, who is a close aide of Trump, also underlined the importance of the Quad grouping comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia.

“The Quad represents a group of partners that trust each other,” he said.

According to Gor, the four countries are cooperating in areas including humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, military interoperability, artificial intelligence, data centres and critical minerals.

The next Quad ministerial meeting is scheduled to take place in Sydney, with Rubio expected to attend.

Gor said the four countries were also working towards holding a leaders’ summit, potentially later this year, although no final decision had been announced.

“The United States is incredibly interested in a leaders’ summit,” he said.

“The four leaders speak with each other regularly. The next natural step is for all of them to be together around one table.”