NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump will attempt to break a growing deadlock on trade while taking forward an increasingly deeper strategic relationship when they meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka in June end.
Modi, Trump and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe are also expected to hold the second meeting of the JAI trilateral – the core grouping in the Indo-Pacific.
But all eyes will be on the Modi-Trump meeting, which will be preceded by a meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in Delhi early next week.
Pompeo is expected to make a policy statement in New Delhi to clarify on US policies and priorities with India.
New commerce minister Piyush Goyal is also expected to have his first conversation with his American counterpart Robert Lighthizer in the coming days. Sources said, Goyal has indicated that India may not negotiate on the withdrawal of GSP.
In fact, the government has identified some 151 items they want to export to take advantage of the US-China trade tensions. Lighthizer is believed to be implacably opposed to India and will push hard at trade and policy issues, and has threatened to impose Special 301 investigations on India .
While trade is a problem area for India and US, the strategic dimension is gaining momentum. India has ordered Sea Guardians, multi-role MH-60 ‘Romeo’ helicopters and NASAMS from America . The US also wants to sell fighter aircraft and a missile defence system to India. But first, a trade dispute has to be resolved.
Source : Financial Express