Sergio Gor strikes conciliatory note, says no partner more essential than India

NEW DELHI: US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor struck a conciliatory tone on Monday amid unprecedented strains in bilateral relations by emphasising India’s importance as a partner for the US and said the two sides remain actively engaged for concluding a trade deal, and that India would soon be part of Pax Silica.

The US and India are bound by shared interests and a “relationship anchored at the highest levels”, and Washington will invite New Delhi next month to join Pax Silica, the flagship American initiative to build a secure and resilient global supply chain for semiconductors and AI technology, he said in a speech at the US embassy three days after arriving in the country.

The remarks by Gor, a close aide of President Donald Trump who earlier served as the head of personnel appointments at the White House, appeared to signal Washington’s desire to reset bilateral ties hit by months of strains and were in marked contrast to critical comments by other senior American officials in recent weeks. Bilateral ties plummeted to an all-time low last year after Trump hit Indian exports with 50% tariffs, including a 25% punitive levy over Russian oil purchases.

“No partner is more essential than India. In the months and years ahead, it is my goal as ambassador to pursue a very ambitious agenda. We will do this as true strategic partners, each bringing strength, respect and leadership to the table,” Gor said, speaking from a podium at the entrance of the embassy.

“The US and India are bound not just by shared interests, but by a relationship anchored at the highest levels. Real friends can disagree, but always resolve their differences in the end,” he said.

Providing an update on the India-US trade deal negotiations, he said: “Both sides continue to actively engage. In fact, the next call on trade will occur tomorrow.”

Gor added, “India is the world’s largest nation. So it’s not an easy task to get this [trade deal] across the finish line, but we are determined to get there.”

India and the US have struggled to conclude a bilateral trade deal despite multiple rounds of talks since early 2025, mainly because of Washington’s demands for lowering tariffs and opening up the farm and dairy sectors, which India has indicated as part of its red lines. US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick ruffled feathers in New Delhi last week by saying a trade agreement couldn’t be sealed in 2025 because Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn’t call president Trump because the Indian side wasn’t comfortable with the deal – a claim rejected by the Indian government.

Gor, who resorted to the unusual step of addressing the media before presenting his credentials later this week, referred to the Pax Silica initiative launched by the US in December and said: “Today, I am pleased to announce that India will be invited to join this group of nations as a full member next month.”

The US-led initiative aims to build a secure and innovation-driven supply chain for critical minerals, energy inputs, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI development and logistics, and has already been joined by Japan, South Korea and the UK. Washington’s decision not to include New Delhi in the initial stages of the initiative had raised eyebrows on the Indian side.

Gor also said the two sides will continue working closely together on other key areas such as security, counter-terrorism, energy, technology, education and health.

While Gor spoke about a possible visit to India by Trump, he was non-committal on a timeframe. “I…hope that the President will be visiting us soon, hopefully in the next year or two,” he said.

Gor noted that Trump had, during a dinner last week, recounted his “incredible experience” of visiting India in 2020 and his “great friendship” with Modi. He added that Trump had spoken to him on Sunday and conveyed his “warm wishes” to the “people of India [and] especially his dear friend” Modi.

He further noted that US secretary of state Marco Rubio had stated that 2026 will be a “year of reciprocity” and said: “We are raising the standard for diplomacy itself. That means fair trade, mutual respect and shared security.”

“I thank the people of India for a very warm welcome. You are a resilient people, you are innovative, you are spiritual,” Gor said.

Besides trade and tariffs, India-US ties have been hit by other issues, including Trump’s persistent claims that he helped broker a ceasefire to end an intense four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025. New Delhi has rejected these claims and said the hostilities – which erupted after India targeted terrorist infrastructure on Pakistani soil – had ended through talks between Indian and Pakistani military officials. The Indian side has also watched warily as Trump has built up a relationship with Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir.