India-US trade deal is close, only 'handful of issues' remain: US envoy
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The United States and India are close to finalising a bilateral trade agreement, with only a "handful of issues" left to resolve before the pact is signed, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has said.
In an interview with IANS at the White House, Gor said negotiators were now focused largely on finalising the legal language of the agreement after making significant progress in recent talks.
"A lot of it is the language that has to be written," Gor said, referring to the remaining work on the agreement.
He said he had attended meetings in New Delhi 48 hours earlier with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, describing the discussions as productive.
"There's a handful of issues that remain. A lot of it now is on the language that ultimately both sides will sign," Gor said. "We're confident that over the next few weeks, over the next few months, it'll get done."
Gor said negotiations had progressed rapidly compared with many other major trade agreements. "We've been working on this deal for a year and a half. The European Union deal, which is still not done, is 20 years," he said.
Declining to discuss specific provisions of the agreement, Gor said both governments were working towards a mutually beneficial outcome.
India and the United States are negotiating the first phase of a bilateral trade agreement aimed at expanding market access, reducing tariff barriers, and strengthening economic cooperation before moving to a broader trade framework.
Gor also said US President Donald Trump remained keen to visit India following his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in France. "I don't have exact dates yet," he said. "One of the things the President asked about is, 'So when am I coming?' He's very keen to come."
While he did not provide a timeline, citing the US midterm election schedule, Gor said India remained a priority destination for the President.
He also said the personal relationship between Trump and Modi continued to support bilateral ties.
"The President and Prime Minister are great friends, and that's something that goes back years ago, and it's something that will continue to go years ahead," Gor said.