Those who were expecting another round of acrimony at the nomination hearing of India’s Ambassador-designate, Sergio Gor, at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, are bound to be either relieved or disappointed.
In fact the introductory remarks of Secretary of State, Mario Rubio, the statements of Gor and his interactions with Senators gave the impression that there was nothing wrong in bilateral ties or that critics and detractors on both sides were making a mountain out of a molehill, of the perceived differences.
In ways more than one, the nomination hearing of Gor is itself a positive indication of the things to come. US President Donald Trump officially nominated Gor on August 22 and for the Senate to move so quickly to hold a hearing is significant.
Add to this the fact that the Secretary of State himself came to the Dirksen Building to introduce the nominee. This is seen in many quarters as the importance the White House attaches to this nomination, and by extension to India and the region. Observers cannot recall the last time a Secretary of State came down for this purpose.
Positive signs
India is “one of the top relationships the United States has in the world today in terms of the future of what the world’s going to look like”, Secretary Rubio said in his remarks. “In the 21st century, the story is going to be written in the Indo-Pacific. In fact, it is so important that we’ve actually changed the name of the combatant command to the Indo-Pacific. India is at the core of that,” he said. The top person at Foggy Bottom also made the point that when Gor speaks, he does not only for the State Department but also for Trump, reminding many of the depth of the incoming envoy’s White House connection.
The Ambassador-designate could not be expected to deviate from the administration’s policy on Russian oil revenues and the sanctions slapped on India. “President Trump has made it crystal clear that India must stop buying Russian oil”, said. Gor.
On why India was sanctioned on Russian oil purchases while China was given a free pass, he said, “We hold our friends to different standards. Frankly we expect more from India than we do sometimes from other nations. I do think it will get resolved over the next few weeks”.
A positive sign on the vexatious trade deal is a statement that negotiators would be back on the job and that Washington and New Delhi are not “that far apart” and despite recent hiccups both countries are “on track” to resolving them.
Trump’s visit?
Also at a time when questions had been raised on Trump’s visit to India later this year for the Leaders meeting of the Quad, there was perhaps the first clear hint that Air Force One might be heading this way, perhaps in November. “… the President is fully committed to meeting leaders of Quad… there have already been talks on a trip for the next Quad meeting… The QUAD is vitally important”, Gor remarked.
All indications are that the Senate will be on a fast track to confirm Gor as the next occupant of the Roosevelt House in New Delhi. The time has come for the two nations to make the most out of the emerging scenario keeping in mind the new envoy’s proximity to the White House and in the personal equations of the two leaders. “Our President has a deep friendship with Modi. That is something that is unique,” Gor characterised.
The writer is a senior journalist who has reported from Washington DC on North America and UN
Published on September 13, 2025
Leave A Comment