Modi speaks with Trump: India seeks an interim trade deal with the U.S.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on Wednesday and agreed to stay in close contact to advance the U.S.–India strategic partnership, according to a statement from the Indian Prime Minister’s Office.

During the conversation, the two leaders reviewed bilateral cooperation in trade, defence, energy and critical technology, and exchanged views on regional and international developments, including efforts for global peace and security, as Reuters reports.

The telephone call comes as Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal is in the U.S. from September 29 to October 5 for talks on a bilateral trade agreement and an interim arrangement, according to Reuters.

Goyal arrived on Tuesday in Milwaukee for the G20 trade ministers’ meeting, at the invitation of U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and met with executives of American manufacturing and technology companies at a roundtable organised by the National Association of Manufacturers.

After months of negotiations there is still no agreement; New Delhi is seeking better trade terms. Earlier this month India told Washington that the new U.S. tariff measures, linked to India’s purchases of Russian oil, could affect bilateral relations.