The long-awaited trade agreement between the United States and India is now in its final phase, with only the last one per cent of negotiations remaining, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Tuesday, expressing confidence that the pact would soon be concluded after nearly 18 months of discussions.
Speaking at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit in Washington, Gor said both governments had resolved the majority of outstanding issues and were now working to bridge the remaining differences. "We are in the final steps on this deal. Most of this deal is complete. There are a few items that remain on both sides. It's in the last 1 per cent of that deal," he said.
Acknowledging that the negotiations had taken longer than many had anticipated, Gor said the complexity of the trade relationship between the two countries made such a timeline understandable. "People ask, why is this taking so long? We've been at this for a year and a half. To put it into perspective, we've been trading for 20 years. So no matter what, once we beat the European deal, I think we're in good shape. But I'm determined to bring this to a close," he said.
The proposed agreement is expected to further strengthen economic ties between the world's largest and fifth-largest economies by expanding market access, facilitating trade and investment, and addressing long-pending issues affecting businesses in both countries.
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Highlighting the broader strategic relationship between New Delhi and Washington, Gor said the strong personal rapport between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued to provide momentum to bilateral cooperation across trade, defence, technology and regional security.
The ambassador said President Trump continues to recall his previous visit to India with great warmth and regards it as one of the most memorable trips of his presidency.
"His visit last time, it was one of his most remarkable visits that he continues to talk about. He holds it in a very fond place. It's an incredible thing. So I look forward to having the President visit us back in India," Gor said, hinting at the possibility of a future presidential visit.
Touching on regional cooperation, Gor also announced that the foreign ministers of the Quad grouping—comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia—are scheduled to meet in the Philippines in about two weeks.
The meeting is expected to review progress on the Quad's initiatives and discuss cooperation on regional security, maritime stability, emerging technologies and other issues of mutual interest in the Indo-Pacific region.
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