Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Friday indicated that a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump would take place at an appropriate time, while highlighting growing cooperation between the two countries in artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chains.Gor underlined the importance that US President Donald Trump attaches to India, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited him to visit the country.
“Stay tuned, I’m sure it’ll happen at the right moment,” Gor told ANI on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit when asked about the possibility of a meeting between PM Modi and Trump.On the prospect of a presidential visit, Gor said, “…In terms of the President’s visit, the Prime Minister invited him. I don’t have any announcements for you soon. The president loved his visit to India. When he nominated me to be ambassador here, one thing he said is the vibrancy, the colour, the history and the culture that you’re gonna see in India is unmatched, and so I’m sure he will be back here at some point.”The remarks came as India signed the Pax Silica Declaration alongside US officials including Ambassador Eric Garcetti and Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg. The initiative, led by the US Department of State, focuses on collaboration in artificial intelligence and strengthening secure semiconductor supply chains among trusted partners.Gor described the partnership as a turning point in bilateral ties.“We’re thrilled that India joined Pax Silica… If you saw the companies that are represented here today, this is an incredible partnership for both of our nations, and we look forward to taking it to the next level.”In his keynote address at the summit, Gor said that by signing the initiative, both nations had chosen to win. He described the evolving bilateral relationship as a “coalition of the capable and the willing” and formally welcomed India as a co founder of the Pax Silica coalition. He said the partnership between the world’s two largest democracies is now “limitless.”He added that the initiative seeks to ensure that the “commanding heights” of technology remain in the hands of free nations.Highlighting technology cooperation, Gor said, “We’re looking for initiatives where the United States and India can work together. And Pax Silica leads at that, AI leads at that. We’re coming here with a message to India that our stacks, our abilities, our AI technology is something that we want to work with Indian companies with. We’re not offering that to everyone around the world. It’s something that we bring specially here to this place.“Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described the declaration as a significant step for India’s growing semiconductor and electronics ecosystem. Addressing the summit, he credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.“We are not just holding a summit here; we are building the future. We are laying the foundation for the young generation,” Vaishnaw said, adding that India’s youth would drive and benefit from decades of sustained growth.Jacob Helberg, United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, also welcomed India’s participation in the initiative.He said Pax Silica underscores the importance of economic security translating into national security and stands in the face of coercion and blackmail undermining the prosperity of nations.Helberg described Pax Silica as the declaration that “the future belongs to those who build and when free people join forces.”“We do not wait for the future to be given to us. We build it ourselves,” he said.He also praised Ambassador Sergio Gor for strengthening ties between New Delhi and Washington, calling it a testament “to the vital importance that the United States places on this friendship.”The development comes shortly after India participated in the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this month, represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
