The Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, received warm congratulations from the president of the United States, Donald Trump, on his birthday on Tuesday and praise for his efforts to end the War of Russia in Ukraine, as the tense commercial conversations continued between the two countries.
“Thank you for your support to finish the war between Russia and Ukraine!” Trump said in a publication about Truth Social, describing his call with Modi as “wonderful” and praising the leader of India for doing a “tremendous work.”
Modi, publishing in X, thanked Trump for his greetings, said he was determined to bring bilateral ties with “new heights” and support Trump’s efforts towards a “peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict.”
The ties between New Delhi and Washington have been under tension since Trump raised tariffs on most 50% Indian exports last month in retaliation for the continuous purchases of Russian oil in New Delhi.
White House officials have accused Indian oil refineries of their benefit and argued that New Delhi’s decision to buy Russian crude has helped finance the Moscow war in Ukraine.
But during the last week, the leaders of both countries have offered more conciliatory public statements and said they are still committed to continuous trade negotiations.
And on Tuesday, Indian and American commercial officials maintained discussions in the capital, New Delhi.
The US delegation included Brendan Lynch, an assistant trade representative for Asia Sur and Central.
“Recognizing the lasting importance of bilateral trade between India and the United States, the discussions were already positive that they cover several aspects of the commercial agreement,” said a statement from the Indian Ministry of Commerce.
“It was decided to intensify efforts to achieve an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial commercial agreement,” he added.
Despite being one of the first countries to begin commercial negotiations with Washington, India has not been able to ensure an agreement that would relieve its tariff load.
Exporters in the most populous country in the world have already warned of canceled orders and potentially significant employment losses.
Trump’s decision to mix war and peace issues with commerce by increasing tariffs in most Indian goods from 25% to 50% have also complicated things.
Experts believe that despite both parties that advance, a commercial agreement will still require difficult negotiations.
“Any progress depends on Washington in the 25% service linked to oil. Without that, no progress is political or economically viable,” said Ajay Srivastava, of the Global Commercial Research Initiative, a group of experts based in New Delhi, in a note on Tuesday.
