Foreign Minister S Jaishankar says India is hopeful of a trade agreement with United States

India is hopeful of a reaching a trade agreement with the United States before the suspension of the reciprocal tariffs end on July 9, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday (June 10).Speaking to Le Figaroa French publication, Jaishankar said that India and United States had started their bilateral trade negotiations in February, even before the threat of US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs policy that was announced on April 2 and later paused for 90 days. Here are some translated excerpts from the interview.

Over the past quarter of a century, under five US Presidents, the relationship of India and United States has steadily improved in various structural areas such as economic, technological, educational, scientific, and even military, which are driving the relationship forward, Jaishankar responded to a question of whether India have good relations with the Trump administration as the Washington keeps threatening New Delhi with 26% tariffs.
He further outlined that during the meeting in February 2025, Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump had agreed to further open the access to the markets of both the countries.Read more: Sensex Today | Stock Market LIVE Updates: Nifty trades around 25,130; Eternal shares dip for second day in row

Trump approaches for the interests of the US

When asked about his perspective on Trump’s foreign policy, Jaishankar noted that Trump has been committed to advancing the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) between India, US, Japan and Australia.

For the rest of the world, Jaishankar observes that Trump is approaching things from the perspective of the immediate interests of/for the United States. He further said that he would do the same while dealing with them.

India-France share a strong partnership

Jaishankar also highlighted the relationship of India and France, stating that there has been a strong partnership with France for many years in the fields of economy and military along with strategic and civil (people to people) cooperation.

The foreign minister said that trust is significant between the Indo-French relations stating that when it comes to the nuclear policies or strategic posture, the two countries are driven by the desire to preserve their national capabilities.

In today’s rapidly evolving multipolar world, the two major independent powers, who share a solid bond, also understand the importance of strategic autonomy, he added, calling for developments in partnerships in areas such as defence, nuclear energy, artificial intelligence (AI), space and environment.

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