US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, has expressed his optimism about the strong footing of India-US ties, citing the close relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump as a key anchor. In an exclusive interview with IANS at the White House, Gor shared his experience in India, progress on the bilateral trade agreement, defence cooperation, energy security, H-1B visas, and people-to-people ties. Gor stated that the President and Prime Minister are great friends, and their relationship has always remained strong, with a deep understanding and mutual respect.
The Ambassador also highlighted the immense potential of the strategic partnership between the two nations, citing examples of cooperation in various sectors such as IT and defence. Gor expressed his confidence that the India-US trade agreement could be finalized in the coming weeks or months, with a handful of issues remaining to be resolved. He also mentioned that President Trump is keen to visit India, with the Prime Minister having extended an invitation.
The Ambassador praised Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, describing him as dynamic, hands-on, and results-driven, with similarities to President Trump’s approach. Gor emphasized the importance of people-to-people ties, citing the strong connections between the two nations, and addressed concerns regarding H-1B visas and hate crimes in the US, stating that these issues are not targeted at India. The Ambassador also highlighted the potential for cooperation in the energy sector, with the US welcoming India’s efforts to diversify its energy supplies.
As the conversation concluded, Gor shared his final thoughts, expressing his enthusiasm for the progress made in the past six months and his commitment to continuing to build on the strong foundation of the India-US relationship. The President holds the Prime Minister and India in highest regard. He has always talked about the Prime Minister being a great friend of his personally, and he always reminds me of his first trip to India and the vibrancy that he saw there.
It’s something that he’s never forgotten. The US and India have incredible things happening, and we’ll continue building on that. India exports more to the United States than any other country in the world.
India does more defence exercises with the United States than any other country in the world. So we have incredible things happening, and we’ll continue building on that.
