New Delhi: Washington and New Delhi are very close to finalising critical minerals agreements in a few months, US ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Friday.
“I’m pleased to say that we are moving very close to finalising critical minerals agreements to help secure the supply chains needed for advanced manufacturing, energy systems and emerging technologies. Stay tuned, and in the next few months, we expect a big announcement,” he said.
Gor described India as a “tough negotiator” in trade discussions and said that the US expects New Delhi and other partners to honour agreements reached with Washington.
The only two dealmakers who got the India-US trade deal done were president Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, claiming that the two share a ‘deep and personal’ friendship, as reported by Mint.
“India is a tough negotiator,” Gor said during the discussion at India Today Conclave.
The Washington-New Delhi relationship can reach ‘historic heights’, he said, highlighting the recent breakthroughs, such as the US-India interim trade agreement, to elevate the partnership.
“We are seeing something different. Instead of breakdown, we are seeing breakthroughs. We have already seen a remarkable series of breakthroughs that demonstrate the strength and momentum of the US-India partnership,” Gor said.
“The relationship has the potential to reach historic heights and deliver results on a scale we have never seen before,” he added.
He stressed that the United States expects countries that enter into agreements with Washington to uphold the terms of those deals.
“Expect countries we have made deals with to honour those deals,” he said, adding that the trade agreement between the two countries had been concluded relatively quickly compared with some of India’s other negotiations.
“First, a breakthrough in trade. Second, a breakthrough in trust and technology and third, a breakthrough in strategic coordination. Each reflects where the US-India partnership is headed,” he said.
On February 7, India and the US announced that they had reached a framework for an Interim agreement regarding reciprocal and mutually beneficial trade (Interim Agreement).
This framework re-affirmed the countries’ commitment to the broader US-India Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) negotiations, which will include additional market access commitments and support more resilient supply chains.
