Daijiworld Media Network – Evian
Evian, Jun 19: India and the United States are in the final stages of concluding an interim bilateral trade agreement, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Thursday, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump have directed officials to expedite the process.
Addressing a media briefing following Prime Minister Modi's participation in the G7 Summit in Evian, France, Misri said significant progress had been achieved in negotiations and that discussions would continue during the upcoming visit of US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to India.
"With the United States, we have made significant progress already on the conclusion of an interim free trade bilateral trade agreement. We are in the final stages of concluding that agreement," Misri said.
He noted that Greer is scheduled to visit India next week to take forward the negotiations. "In the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister and President Donald Trump yesterday in Evian, this was a major subject of discussion. Both leaders once again gave instructions for this agreement to be concluded at the earliest possible," he added.
The proposed trade pact featured prominently during the meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. Speaking later, Trump said the two countries were "very close" to finalising the agreement.
"We had, in particular, some very good conversations with Prime Minister Modi, India. And we're doing trade deals, we're doing a lot of things, a lot of things are happening between the United States and India," Trump said.
The US President also praised India's growing investments in America, stating that Modi was contributing significantly to economic activity in the United States.
Earlier this week, Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal confirmed that Greer would arrive in India on June 22 and hold discussions with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on June 23 and 24.
"We expect that discussions will be centred around giving final touches to the framework deal and also on the larger bilateral trade agreement that has been under discussion between the two sides," Agrawal said.
Greer's visit comes at a time when India and the US are also engaged in discussions over tariff-related issues and Section 301 proceedings. Agrawal said the proposed trade agreement would address the broader spectrum of trade relations between the two countries and help provide clarity on pending trade concerns.
Beyond trade, Modi and Trump also reviewed progress made under the India-US COMPACT (Catalyzing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology) initiative launched during their meeting in Washington in February 2025. The two leaders welcomed advances in defence cooperation, strategic technologies, energy partnerships and bilateral trade ties.