News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know PM Modi Thanks “Friend” Donald Trump For Birthday Greetings; Says Committed To Taking Ties To New Heights P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday- thanked US President Donald Trump for his phone call and greetings on his 75thbirthday and said he, like the US leader, is fully commit- ted to taking the India-USComprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. In a post on X, PMModi referred to President Trump as “my friend” and said that India supports his initia- tives for peaceful resolution of Ukraine conflict. “Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India- US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” he said. The greetings from the US President came on a day the US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch was in the national capital to discuss next steps in bilateral trade negotiations. Brendan Lynch had a positive meeting with his counterpart Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal on Tuesday to discuss next steps inmbilateral trade negotiations with the two sides deciding to intensify efforts to achievemearly conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement. Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a state- ment that team of officials from the office of United States Trade Representative, led by Chief Negotiator, India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement negotiations, Bren- dan Lynch visited India on September 16, 2025. “They held discussions with officials from the Depart- ment of Commerce, led by the Special Secretary, Depart- ment of Commerce on India-US trade ties, including on theIndia-US Bilateral Trade Agreement,” it said. “Ac- knowledging the enduring importance of bilateral trade between India and the U.S., the discussions were positive and forward-looking, covering various aspects of the trade deal. It was decided to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agree- ment,” the statement added. A US Embassy Spokesperson said Brendan Lynch had a positive meeting in Delhi with Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal today to discuss next steps in bilateral trade negotiations. Sources said the Chief Negotiators of both countries decided to continue the trade talks on virtual mode. India and the United States have earlier held five rounds of negotiations for a trade deal. The proposed last round of talks with US in August was postponed. Over the past few months, India and the US have been negotiating for an interim trade deal.US President Don- ald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on Indian goods in July, even as there were hopes of an interim India- US trade deal that would have otherwise helped avoid elevated tariffs. A few days later, he imposed another 25 per cent tariff, taking the total to 50 per cent, citing India’s continued imports of Russian oil. The 50 per cent tariffs came into effect on August 27. India has reservations over the US demand for open- ing up the agricultural and dairy sectors. Agriculture and dairy are critical and sensitive sectors for India as they provide livelihood to a large section of people. India and the US initiated talks for a just, balanced, and mutually beneficial Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) in March this year, aiming to complete the first stage of the Agreement by October-November 2025. Last week, Prime Minister Modi stated that trade talks between India and the United States would help “unlock the limitless potential” of the partnership, after US President Donald Trump called for addressing “trade barriers” between the two nations. In a post on X, PMModi described New Delhi and Washington as “natural partners” and said he was confi- dent about the progress of the negotiations. The PM also expressed his willingness to speak to Trump. “India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the IndiaUS partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest. I am also looking forward to speaking with President Trump. We will work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people,” PMModi had said in the X post. -ANI PHOTO:REUTERS/Carlos Barria n European Union (EU) Eyes Deeper India Alliance Despite Concern Over Moscow Ties T he European Commission set out plans onWednesday, September 17, 2025, to deepen cooperation with India in fields such as defence, technology and trade, despite tensions over New Delhi’s close ties to Moscow. The European Union and India are in the final stages of negotiating a free trade agreement, which they aim to conclude by the end of the year. Negotiations, relaunched in 2022, have gained pace since the re-election of U.S. Presi- dent Donald Trump. Faced with Trump’s tariffs, both sides have accelerated efforts to foster new alliances. EU SEES INDIA AS ECONOMIC, DIPLOMATIC PARTNER For Brussels, that means planned trade agree- ments with Mexico, South American bloc Merco- sur, India and Indonesia. India sees promise in the European Union, but also in China and Russia. India has increased purchases of Russian oil since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In the past month Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held hands with Russian President Vladimir Pu- tin at a summit in China, and its troops joined a Russian- led military exercise. On Friday, U.S. officials called on G7 and EU states to impose tariffs on China and India over Russian oil purchases. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged the EU and India had “clear areas of disagreement” that were obstacles to deeper cooperation, but said the bloc did not want to push India into “Russia’s corner”. “The question is whether we leave this void to be filled by somebody else or we try to fill it ourselves,” she told a press conference. In its document released onWednesday setting out its vision, the Commission said the EU would further engage with India on curtailing Russia’s military and preventing circumvention of EU sanctions. Despite tensions, the European Commission views India as a fellow upholder of the rules- based multilateral order, and hopes to benefit from its expected rise to become the world’s third largest economy in 2030, the document says. The EU envisages the two sides negotiat- ing agreements on investment protection and boosting air transport, collaborating on securing supply chains, on green hydrogen, on decarboni- sation of heavy industry and on research and innovation. They could also agree a defence and security partnership, as the EU already has with Japan and South Korea, and cooperate in projects in third countries, particularly in Africa and South Asia. -Reuters By Philip Blenkinsop PHOTO:REUTERS/Yves Herman The European Commission’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and European Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic hold a press conference in Brussels, Belgium September 17, 2025 U.S. President Donald Trump meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks during the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, August 26, 2019. Diplomacy News India Times (September 20, 2025 - September 26, 2025) September 26, 2025 5