'There Is A Deal To Be Had, Trump Is Transactional': Fareed Zakaria On India-US Trade Talks — NDTV Exclusive
Trump is a "passionate protectionist" and India has a history of protectionism, which is making it a "hard trade deal negotiation", Zakaria said.
A trade deal between India and the United States is likely on the cards, but its closure depends on the agreement to be reached by the "two strong leaders" on either sides, foreign affairs expert Fareed Zakaria said in an exclusive conversation with NDTV.
"There is a deal to be had. Donald Trump is transactional," Zakaria stressed, suggesting that India's reluctance to open up the agricultural sector for US exports is likely one of the hurdles.
If Prime Minister Narendra Modi tells him that he can't make concessions on agriculture due to domestic political compulsions, and offers other options like investing in select-US sectors, then a deal could be reached, he said.
Trump is a "passionate protectionist" and India has a history of protectionism, which is making it a "hard trade deal negotiation", according to Zakaria.
"Trump is complicated, but he does understand leverage. He knows India needs the trade deal more than he does," the expert said, but added that the US president may have underestimated India's resilience.
"He may have miscalculated as India is ready to go through some economic hardship", instead of finalising a trade deal that can go against its interests, he noted.
'India Has To Be Creative'
The Indian side has to be "creative" in dealing with the Trump administration to seal a trade pact, Zakaria said. The US president's policy of claiming to have brokered all truce—including between India and Pakistan—is "unwise", but needs to be handled with diplomatic tact, he added.
Notably, Trump has, since May, repeated several times that he brokered the recent ceasefire between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has refuted the claim publicly.
The Pakistani government, on the other hand, has excessively praised Trump in the aftermath of the ceasefire and also nominated him for Nobel Peace Prize.
India doesn't need to resort to "flattery", Zakaria said, in an apparent reference to Islamabad's strategy. However, "India needs sharp diplomacy" at this moment.
"India can say you were helpful in brokering the ceasefire, rather than saying you brokered the ceasefire," he said.
In previous episodes like this, late former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would tactfully appreciate the role of the US, Zakaria said. However, he noted that Modi and Vajpayee are two different personalities.
Zakaria believes the recent lull in India-US ties, which marks a departure from the warming of relations over the past two decades, is temporary. "Fundamentally, there's a huge convergence of interest and values".
India and the US are "natural allies", and Washington has strategically opted for closer ties between two countries over the past 25 years, he added.
