Govt remains hopeful: EAM on US trade deal

NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar has said govt remains hopeful of reaching a trade deal with the US amid hardening of position by India on issues related to tariff cuts on agricultural products. "We are in the middle, hopefully more than the middle, of a very intricate trade negotiation. Obviously, my hope would be that we bring it to a successful conclusion, I cannot guarantee, because there's another party to that discussion, but no question," Jaishankar told Newsweek magazine. "I believe it's possible, and I think we'll have to watch this space for the next few days," he said.The comments coincided with White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt saying the deal would happen very soon. "You'll hear from the President (Donald Trump) and his team, his trade team very soon when it comes to India," she told reporters. TNN