Modi set for US visit in December; his bond with Trump was ‘envy of world’: Envoys

PRime government minister Narendra Modi is to the highest degree potential to see the United States in dec for the G20 summit, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said on Monday (local time), adding that Washington would "love to have" the Prime Minister visit the country again.Speaking on the sidelines of the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026, Gor said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had extended an invitation to Modi during his recent visit to India. He also expressed confidence that the interim India-US trade agreement would be concluded "sooner rather than later", while noting that President Donald Trump remains closely engaged on bilateral ties."I have been with the President for 10 years, so a large part of the conversation was like two friends catching up... But I also told him about my visits to India... I also spoke to him about the growing trade relations. On both sides, we see businesses coming here and going there every week, and it is a win-win situation for both," Gor said, speaking to ANI news agency on the sidelines of the Summit.On negotiations over the interim India-US trade deal and the role of United States Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer, Gor said, “Ambassador Greer has the President's full confidence, and so we are getting close to finalising that. But these things are complex legal things, and this is not one page. We have thousands of items between our two nations that we are working on. And so the fact that we've gone so far, that is a great sign for the relationship, and I am hopeful that we will be able to wrap this up sooner rather than later.”'Trump-Modi relationship, once the envy of world' Meanwhile, USISPF's Honorary Senior Advisor Al Mason on Monday [local time] said that the India-US relationship has regained "historic momentum", crediting US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor with helping revive ties between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi."The historic Trump-Modi relationship, once the envy of the world, had entered a very challenging phase. Trade, domestic priorities, bureaucratic challenges, media noise." ANI quoted Mason as saying.Listen in Addressing the IX USISPF Leadership Summit 2026 in Washington, DC, Mason said the relationship between the two leaders had gone through a difficult period before being revitalised.He said Sergio Gor played a key role in restoring communication between the two leaders. "President Trump then introduced the exceptionally talented friend, Sergio Gor, into the storyline to reconnect the two old friends", he said.According to Mason, Gor delivered three key messages from President Trump to Prime Minister Modi.He said, “To Prime Minister Modi himself, he [Gor] conveyed 3 basic truths: President Trump respects India's rise, President Trump admires Prime Minister Modi's leadership, and President Trump wants a stronger India-US relationship.”Modi's next visit to USGor, when asked about the possibility of President Trump's visit to India on the sidelines of the Summit, said, "It's not any time during the midterms. It has to be somewhere next year...We would love to make that happen sooner rather than later."Speaking about Prime Minister Modi's visit to the United States, Gor said, "Secretary Marco Rubio invited PM Modi while visiting him... We love to have him back here. And I know he's coming in December for the G20." Commenting on the upcoming Quad meeting in the Philippines, Gor said, the aim is to build upon what has already happened in New Delhi, which included those maritime options in Fiji and other places. "The Pacific security is something that is vitally important to all four nations...We want to make this a regular thing, not a one-off once or twice a year," he said.In separate remarks at a session of the Summit, Gor recalled how Trump once suddenly asked for a call with PM Modi when it was 6 am in India, saying that the prime minister will be up."I was at an event with President Trump. And he says suddenly let's call PM Modi. I told him that it was 6 AM in India. But Trump said Modi will be up. He is like me. He doesn't sleep," Gor said at USISPF Leadership Summit. Earlier on May 23, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor had said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio extended an invitation on behalf of US President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the White House.The US envoy said in a post on X, "News! Secretary Marco Rubio extended an invite on behalf of President Donald Trump for Prime Minister Modi to visit the White House in the near future!"The invitation was extended during Rubio's state visit to India from May 23-26. The 2026 G20 Miami Summit is scheduled to take place from December 14-15 at the Trump National Doral Miami resort in Doral, Florida. This 21st meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) will mark the first time the United States has hosted the leaders' summit since 2009.