Sergio Gor heads to Delhi for talks on trade deal and leader's meet

Days after his confirmation by the US Senate, Ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor will visit New Delhi over the weekend and early next week to meet senior MEA officials, prepare for his posting, and fine-tune trade negotiations ahead of a possible leaders' summit in Kuala Lumpur at the end of October.

Gor will be accompanied by Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas, with the two scheduled to meet senior MEA officials over the weekend and Monday to "discuss a wide range of bilateral issues."

Announcing the visit, the US State Department said, "US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas will travel to India from October 9 to 14."


"The United States will continue to work with India to strengthen our strategic partnership and promote a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Indo-Pacific region," the statement added.

While Gor and Indian officials will work to iron out the differences needed to pave the way for a leaders' meeting, the path ahead remains complex, and plans for the Prime Minister's meeting with the US President on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia are yet to be finalised, ET has learnt.

On Thursday in a telephonic conversation, Modi, described Trump as a friend, and congratulated him on the success of the "historic Gaza peace plan".

Trump's choice of his close political aide Gor as the next US ambassador to India could be a gamechanger amid the current challenges that the relationship is facing. Gor is part of Trump's inner circle and he could use his proximity to directly speak to Trump on India's views on the current irritants in the partnership. Gor could turn out to be bridge builder.

During the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation process Gor had said that Washington and New Delhi are "not that far apart right now" on a trade deal, adding that discussions had moved to the "nitty-gritty" stage.

Gor had emphasised that India remains a "strategic partner" for the US and pledged to strengthen ties across security, trade and shared values if confirmed.