US government officials have expressed ‘great hope’ for a soon conclusion on the India-US trade agreement. State Department spokesperson Margaret McLeod gave this information. He also spoke about ‘Operation Hardball’, an anti-organized crime operation.
Hope of soon agreement on India-US trade deal
London [यूके]July 10 (ANI): US government officials have expressed ‘great optimism’ about the ongoing India-US trade deal talks and expressed hope that it will be “completed soon”. State Department spokesperson Margaret McLeod said this on Thursday. He made this comment in an exclusive conversation with ANI. When asked about an interim trade deal, the US envoy said, “We have heard from US government officials that there is a lot of optimism about getting this done soon, but for specific details, it would be best to ask the US Trade Representative directly.”
Earlier, US Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Bethany Paulos Morrison had said that Washington is “very, very close” to finalizing the historic trade deal with India. The comments come after US Trade Representative Jameson Greer, along with the US delegation, met with Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal in early June to discuss ways to take forward negotiations on the interim agreement, which was originally initiated by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
What is ‘Operation Hardball’?
McLeod also talked about ‘Operation Hardball’ and said that the US Justice Department’s indictment has just come out, and there are not many details about extradition or specific cooperation. “However, the arrests that took place not only in the US but also in Europe and other countries were clearly the result of cooperation with our allies,” he said.
His comments come in the wake of “Operation Hard Ball”, a coordinated action targeting India-based organized crime groups allegedly involved in violent crimes, extortion and international drug trafficking. (ANI)
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