Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India remains interested in "mutually beneficial" trade deal with the US. On many occasions, he said, the two sides were even close to a deal.
India on Friday rejected the claims made by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on why the trade deal between Washington and New Delhi collapsed, and said that the characterisation of discussions in reported remarks are not accurate. Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India remains interested in "mutually beneficial" trade deal with the United States.
Jaiswal said India and the US have held multiple rounds of talks to arrive at a "balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement". On many occasions, the MEA spokesperson said, the two sides were even close to a deal.
The characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate," Jaiswal said. "We remain interested in a mutually beneficial trade deal between two complementary economies and look forward to concluding it. Incidentally, Prime Minister and President Trump have also spoken on phone on 8 occasions during 2025, covering different aspects of our wide-ranging partnership."
Earlier in the day, Lutnick claimed that the trade deal between India and the US collapsed after Prime Minister Narendra Modi failed to make a call to President Donald Trump to seal the deal. Interestingly, his remark comes after Trump said that PM Modi knew he was unhappy with India's purchases of Russian oil and that Washington could raise tariffs on New Delhi "very quickly".
'Fully aware of proposed bill'
During the press conference, Jaiswal said the government is aware about the proposed US bill to increase tariffs to 500 per cent on countries purchasing Russian oil and said India is carefully monitoring all related issues and developments connected with it. The 'Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025' was proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham, which seeks to slap at least 500 per cent tariffs on all goods and services from nations that are procuring oil from Russia.
"At the same time, I would like to say that, as far as energy sources are concerned, you are well aware of our approach. We take into account the conditions and environment in the global market, while also keeping in mind our imperative of ensuring that energy is made available at affordable prices to our 1.4 billion people. Based on these factors, we determine our strategy and policy," he said.
'Shaksgam Valley is Indian territory'
The MEA spokesperson on Friday also reiterated that the Shaksgam Valley is an Indian territory and the country has never recognised the so-called China-Pakistan boundary agreement that happened in 1963, calling it illegal and invalid. He said India also does not recognise the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which passes through Indian territory, which has been illegally occupied by Pakistan.
"The entire union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India," Jaiswal said. "This has been clearly conveyed to Pakistani and the Chinese authorities several times. We have consistently protested with the Chinese side against attempts to alter the ground reality in Shaksgam Valley. We further reserve the right to take necessary measures to safeguard our interests."
