Foreign Secretary Vikram Mishri on Thursday (June 18) said India and the US are very close to finalizing an interim bilateral trade agreement. The announcement was made a day after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit.
“We have made considerable progress towards finalizing an interim bilateral trade agreement with the US. We are very close to finalizing that agreement,” Vikram Misri said at a press conference on Thursday. He also informed that US Trade Representative Jameson Greer will visit India next week to take the talks forward.
Mishri said that during the meeting between Modi and Trump, the proposed trade agreement was discussed and both the leaders directed to complete it as soon as possible. This development has come to light after Trump’s statement in which he said that the two countries are very close to finalizing the long-awaited trade agreement. Speaking to reporters after the meeting with PM Modi, Trump described the Indian Prime Minister as one of the toughest negotiators and said talks on the issue had been going on for some time.
**What did Donald Trump say**
Donald Trump said, “We had a very good conversation with Indian Prime Minister Modi. We are working on a trade deal and doing many things; there is a lot happening between the United States and India.” Praising PM Modi for promoting Indian investment in America, Trump said, “The Prime Minister is building a lot in America; he is spending a lot of money there.”
**India-UK Trade Agreement**
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi welcomed the India-UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), which will come into force from July 15. He described it as a historic milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries and a major step towards promoting trade and investment. In a post on Twitter, PM Modi said the agreement will further strengthen economic ties between India and the United Kingdom and create new opportunities in key sectors.