By Brendan Lynch
Copyright indiatimes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday thanked US President Donald Trump for his “warm greetings” on the eve of his 75th birthday, using the occasion to reaffirm commitment to strengthening the India-US partnership amid New Delhi’s fast-moving trade negotiations with Washington.”Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict: PM Modi said on Tuesday, on the eve of his 75th birthday on X,” PM Modi said in a post on X.— narendramodi (@narendramodi) Trump, in a parallel message on Truth Social, said: “Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine! President DJT.” Live EventsThe development came as both countries resumed formal talks on the India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement after weeks of delay. On Tuesday, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said discussions were “positive and forward looking,” with both sides agreeing “to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement.”USTR delegation in New DelhiA US team led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative and chief negotiator for the bilateral agreement, met Indian officials in New Delhi on September 16. His counterpart, Rajesh Agrawal, Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce, led the Indian side.“Acknowledging the enduring importance of bilateral trade between India and the U.S., the discussions were positive and forward looking covering various aspects of the trade deal,” the Commerce Ministry said in its official statement.Also read: India calls trade talks with US ‘positive’, says both sides to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of agreement An Embassy spokesperson confirmed the meeting, noting that “Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Brendan Lynch had a positive meeting in Delhi with his counterpart Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal on September 16 to discuss next steps in bilateral trade negotiations.”Tariffs and stalled talksThe renewed engagement follows turbulence in August, when Trump imposed a 25% punitive levy on Indian imports, effectively doubling tariffs to 50%, as part of Washington’s pressure campaign on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. India resisted US demands to open its farm and dairy markets, leading to the cancellation of a scheduled USTR delegation visit to New Delhi from August 25-29.India’s exports to the US fell sharply in that period, dropping from $8.01 billion in July to $6.86 billion in August, according to official data. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
With talks now back on track, both sides are on track to secure progress on the long-pending trade agreement.(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)
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