Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet US President Donald Trump during a visit to the United States next month, Reuters reported.
He will attend the UN General Assembly session.
The General Assembly begins on September 9, but the annual meeting of heads of state and government will be held from September 23 to 29.
While the reason for the potential visit will be to attend the UN meeting in New York, a key objective will be to hold talks with Trump and smooth over trade and tariff issues that have led to some deterioration in relations between the two countries.
The news of Modi's possible trip to The US comes days after Trump announced an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods to punish New Delhi for its continued purchases of Russian oil. The sanction increased the total tax on Indian goods exported to the US to 50%, among the highest levels imposed on any of Washington's trading partners. Trade talks between New Delhi and the US have collapsed after five rounds of talks over disagreements over opening up India's vast agricultural and dairy sectors and halting purchases of Russian oil. US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said yesterday that several major trade deals were still to be struck, including with Switzerland and India, but New Delhi had been "a little recalcitrant". in negotiations with Washington.
Besent expressed hope that the Trump administration will conclude trade talks by the end of October.
"It's ambitious, but I think we're in a good position," he noted, adding: "I think we can agree on substantial terms with all the substantial parties."