New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Thursday that discussions between India and the United States are still ongoing, but cautioned that the process is difficult and far from complete.
He emphasized the significance of mutual benefit while cautioning against hasty judgments.
Trade talks and negotiations are ongoing between India and the United States. At this time, the squad is simply going for it... These are very difficult discussions; they are quite intricate. Nothing is determined until everything is. Any trade agreement must benefit both parties; it must work for both countries. That would be our expectation from the trade agreement. Jaishanker stated that any conclusion on the matter would be premature until that is completed.
His words coincide with US President Donald Trump's declaration that the recent IndiaPakistan ceasefire was due to a change in focus from combat to trade. During a Gulf tour, Trump addressed American soldiers at a facility in Doha, stating that both New Delhi and Islamabad reacted positively to his proposal to seek trade rather than conflict.
I don't want to say I did it, but I sure assisted in settling the issue between Pakistan and India last week, which was growing increasingly contentious, and all of a sudden, you'll start seeing missiles of a different type, and we resolved it, Trump added.
I hope I don't walk out of here and learn two days later that it is unresolved, but I believe it is, and we spoke with them about commerce. Let us trade instead. Pakistan was quite pleased with that, as was India, and I believe they are on their way...
Trump also alluded to India and Pakistan's long history of hostility, stating, "They have been fighting for around 1000 years in all fairness. " So I said, you know. I could take care of it. I could settle it; let me settle it up and get them all together. How long have you been battling for about 1000 years? Oh, that's a lot. I'm unsure about that. I'm undecided about settling. That is a difficult one. They had been fighting for a long time... It was actually going to get out of control.
The halt of hostilities that Trump spoke about occurred amid increased tensions following India's Operation Sindoor, which began in the early hours of May 7. The operation targeted nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), in retaliation for the May 5 terrorist attack in Pahalgam. On May 10, India and Pakistan struck an agreement to stop fighting.
