Trump may visit India for Quad Summit, Sergio Gor tells US Senate at confirmation hearing

US President Donald Trump’s pick for American envoy to India, Sergio Gor, hinted that the president may travel to India for the Quad Leaders Summit later this year, as he faces the Senate committee for his confirmation hearing.

While addressing the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations, Trump’s close aide said that “the President is fully committed to meeting leaders of Quad…there have already been talks on a trip for the next Quad meeting”.

Last month, Trump announced Gor to be the next US ambassador to India. During his confirmation hearing, Gor said that he still would not commit to an exact date for Trump’s visit. “The QUAD is vitally important,” Gor said at his confirmation hearing on Thursday.

The proclamation from Gor came just weeks after The New York Times reported that Trump had dropped plans to visit India for the QUAD Leaders Summit, which is scheduled to take place in November this year.

Trump’s India visit plan is on

In their last telephonic conversation on June 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an invitation to Trump to visit India for the summit. According to the Indian readout, published after the call, Trump had accepted PM Modi’s invite.

Now Gor’s comment on the matter indicates that Trump’s trip to India is back on track. Apart from this, it is also expected that both PM Modi and Trump will soon have a phone conversation about the scheduling of the QUAD Summit.

During the Thursday hearing, Gor maintained that Trump and PM Modi continue to have a “deep friendship” despite tensions. “Our president (Trump) has a deep friendship with Modi. That is something that is unique,” he told the Senate committee.

“The President has been critical of India, but he has gone out of his way to compliment Modi. They have an incredible relationship…I have been with them in the same room. We’re not that far apart on a deal already on these tariffs,” he furthered.