PM Modi High on Trump’s G20 Meeting List, Sergio Gor Says
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to rank among US President Donald Trump’s highest-priority leaders for bilateral engagement during the G20 Summit in Florida in December, according to US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. No separate Modi-Trump meeting has yet been formally announced.
Modi-Trump Meeting Could Go Beyond G20
Gor said Trump considers Modi a friend and suggested the Prime Minister’s visit could involve more than participation in the multilateral G20 gathering.
Asked which leaders Trump would most want to meet among those attending, Gor said Modi would be “at the top” of the list. He also indicated that Trump continues to remember his 2020 visit to India positively and could return to the country next year.
The remarks come as New Delhi and Washington continue high-level engagement across trade, defence and strategic cooperation.
India-US Trade Deal ‘Very Close’
Gor said negotiations on the proposed India-US trade agreement were being reworked following a US Supreme Court ruling but maintained that the two countries remained “very close” to reaching an agreement.
He expressed hope that the deal could be concluded within the next few months. India and the United States have also set a longer-term target of expanding bilateral trade to $500 billion.
US Ambassador Highlights Defence and Quad Ties
Gor described India as a trusted US defence partner, stressing that the relationship extends beyond military equipment purchases to strategic trust and joint exercises.
He also highlighted cooperation involving the Javelin missile programme, Apache helicopters and discussions over further defence equipment.
The ambassador said Washington remains keen on convening a Quad leaders’ summit involving India, the United States, Japan and Australia. He also signalled more frequent high-level visits, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expected to return to India in October.
