NEW DELHI: No country is as essential than India for Washington and both sides are actively engaged in firming up a trade deal, US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor said on Monday.
Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences in the end, he said in his arrival speech while referring to the friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump.
"India is the world's largest nation. So it's not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there," he said at a ceremony attended by US embassy employees here.
"And while trade is very important for our relationship, we will continue to work closely together on other very important areas such as security, counter-terrorism, energy, technology, education, and health," he said.
"I have travelled all over the world with President Trump, and I can attest that his friendship with Prime Minister Modi is real," he added.
Gor also announced that India will be a member of the Pax Silica alliance.
"I am pleased to announce that India will be invited to join this group of nations as a full member next month," he said.
The Pax Silica alliance is a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure, resilient and innovation driven silicon supply chain.