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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to India as a "strategic ally" in the Indo-Pacific region while answering a question on Monday (US local time) in a press briefing regarding the India-US trade agreement. In answer to a question on the India-US trade agreement, adding to what she said, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to India as a "strategic ally" in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

Yes, the President indicated last week (that US and India are close to a trade deal), and it continues to be the case. I just spoke with our Secretary of Commerce on this. He was in the Oval Office with the President. 

 

Her comments are made while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is on a visit to the United States to attend the QUAD Foreign Ministers' Meeting. QUAD, comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the US, is aimed at championing a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific. The bloc emerged as a coordinated humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

 

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Meanwhile, it was earlier confirmed on June 18 that US President Donald Trump accepted PM Modi’s invitation to attend the upcoming QUAD Summit in New Delhi. "For the next meeting of QUAD, PM Modi invited President Trump to India. While accepting the invitation, President Trump said that he is excited to come to India," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a video message.

 

India-US trade talks

India and the US sat down for another round of talks to finalise an early harvest agreement on June 26, ahead of the US imposing country-specific reciprocal tariffs on July 9 on imports from 57 nations, including India, as per those involved in the negotiations.

 

Headed by chief negotiator and special secretary for commerce Rajesh Agrawal, the Indian team came to Washington for a two-day round of talks starting last week. The key objective of this round is to resolve outstanding trade disputes and arrive at an interim deal that can provide the foundation for the first phase of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by September or October 2025.

 

Following this first phase, both parties are supposed to start talks for a complete free trade agreement (FTA) with the ultimate goal of doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.