India Declines Trump's Mediation Offer with China
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Synopsis
On February 14, India rejected President Trump's proposal to mediate border skirmishes with China, emphasizing its preference for a bilateral resolution approach. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri reiterated India's stance on managing issues with neighboring countries independently, while also addressing discussions on tariffs and trade agreements during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US.
Key Takeaways
- India maintains a bilateral approach to conflict resolution with neighbors.
- Trump's mediation offer was declined, consistent with past refusals.
- Tariffs and trade agreements were significant discussion points during Modi's visit.
- Plans to resume trade negotiations with a deadline this fall were established.
- Discussions regarding potential F-35s for India are still in the proposal stage.
Washington, Feb 14 (NationPress) India has promptly rejected President Donald Trump's proposal to assist in mediating an end to the border conflicts with China, stating that New Delhi adheres to a bilateral approach for resolving issues.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri conveyed during a news briefing concluding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to the US that, "Whatever issues we face with any of our neighbors, we have consistently followed a bilateral approach in addressing these matters."
During a joint press conference with the Prime Minister, President Trump remarked, "I observe India and recognize the ongoing border skirmishes, which are quite severe, and I suppose they persist."
He continued, "If I could provide assistance, I'd be delighted to help because this needs to be resolved. It has been ongoing for a long time and it's significantly violent."
This was not a spontaneous suggestion. Trump had previously proposed mediation between India and China during his first term, as well as between India and Pakistan. India had politely declined his offers then, just as it did on Thursday. However, this may not be the last time the American president comments on this matter as he aims to establish his legacy as a “peacemaker”.
Foreign Secretary Misri also elaborated on several other topics, such as tariffs, which emerged as a notable point of contention repeatedly voiced by Trump during the four-hour meeting with the Prime Minister.
“We have been hearing about tariffs for an extended period, and this topic naturally arose during today's discussions between the two leaders,” Misri noted, adding, “Both had their viewpoints. However, what’s more significant is the fact that we now have a path forward regarding the commitment to initiate discussions on a bilateral trading agreement, which could serve as an excellent opportunity to advance something that was originally envisioned in the first Trump administration.”
The two parties had worked on a trade agreement for Trump and PM Modi to sign during the former’s visit to India in February 2020, but the negotiators were unable to finalize the discussions.
The joint statement released following the meeting indicated that talks will resume with a deadline set for this fall. “We are aiming for the next seven to eight months to accomplish this, and today, in a sense, both teams have received directives from the highest levels to commence engagement on this,” the foreign secretary affirmed.
Regarding President Trump’s offer of F-35s (the most advanced fighter jets in the US-led Western military) to India during the joint news briefing, Misri commented, “This is currently at the proposal stage. However, I believe the formal process regarding this has not yet commenced well.”
