NEW DELHI: US Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi as part of a visit aimed at recalibrating the India–US relationship, currently strained by trade and tariff disputes.
The meeting marks an important diplomatic step ahead of Gor's formal assumption of office early next year.
“Glad to receive Mr. Sergio Gor, Ambassador-designate of the US to India. I’m confident that his tenure will further strengthen the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” Modi said in a post on X.
As a symbolic gesture, Gor presented Modi with a signed and framed photograph from a joint press conference at the White House earlier this year, featuring President Donald Trump’s handwritten message: “Mr Prime Minister, you are great.”
The ambassador-designate also held separate meetings with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. Sources described the discussions as focused on reinforcing the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and shared priorities.
“Discussed the India–US relationship and its global significance. Wish him the best for his new responsibility,” Jaishankar wrote on X.
Gor’s visit comes at a delicate time in bilateral ties. Trade tensions sparked by steep US tariffs under the Trump administration, including punitive duties on key Indian goods for Russian oil purchases have pushed relations to their lowest point in nearly two decades.
However, diplomatic channels remain active. Following a recent phone call between Modi and Trump, Indian officials said “good progress” in restarting trade negotiations and “having more strategic communication” to iron out the difference.
Gor, a close aide of Trump and a key figure in Republican circles, arrived in India alongside US Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas for a six-day visit.
The US embassy confirmed the meetings are aimed at “further deepening our ambitious strategic partnership and promoting a safer, stronger, and more prosperous relationship.”
The ambassador-designate had already made it clear that resolving trade issues is a top priority. At his Senate confirmation hearing last month, Gor emphasized India’s strategic value to the US, stating, “India is one of the most important relationships America has in the world.”
He also struck a hopeful note on stalled trade talks, adding, “India and the US are not that far apart on making a trade deal.”
US Assistant Trade Representative Brendan Lynch too had recently visited Delhi to resume talks, while Indian ministers Piyush Goyal and S. Jaishankar have made follow-up visits to Washington.
A potential bilateral meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia later this month may depend on how quickly progress is made and whether Trump finally decides to attend the summit.
