Question : INDO-U.S. Agreements

(a) the details of agreements executed between India and US during the visit of US President Donald Trump to India;

(b) whether the terms and conditions of the agreement were examined by the respective departments in India and if so, the details thereof;

(c) the benefits to India and Indian community due to such trade agreements;

(d) the areas newly opened by India for trade agreement with US;

(e) whether the Government discussed domestic and international issues during the visit and if so, the result thereof;

(f) whether the Government has entered into agreement on Defence deals during the said visit and if so, the details thereof; and

(g) whether the Government has assessed the impact of the visit of US President to India with regard to trade and commerce and if so, the details thereof including the cost incurred for hosting the visit?

Answer given by the minister

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN]

(a) Documents concluded during the State Visit to India by the President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump in February 2020, are as below:

(i) Memorandum of Understanding on Mental Health between the Department of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of the Republic of India and the Department of Health and Human Services of the Government of the United States of America.

(ii) Memorandum of Understanding on the Safety of Medical Products between the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization within the Directorate General of Health Services of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Republic of India and the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services of the United States of America.

(iii) Letter of Cooperation between Indian Oil Corporation Limited and ExxonMobil India LNG Limited and Chart Industries Inc.

(b) The above documents were considered and approved by the concerned parties in India.

(c) & (d) No trade agreement was signed during the visit of President Trump to India.

(e) During his visit, President Trump held talks with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. In their discussion, the two leaders covered a broad range of bilateral issues including security and defence, energy, trade and economic ties, and people-to-people relations. They also exchanged views on a number of global and regional issues of mutual interest.

(f) No.

(g) The Joint Statement issued on 25 February 2020 in connection with President Trump’s visit to India states, “Prime Minister Modi and President Trump recognized the increasing importance of the trade and investment dimension of the India-United States relationship, and the need for long-term trade stability that will benefit both the American and Indian economies. They agreed to promptly conclude the ongoing negotiations, which they hope can become phase one of a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement that reflects the true ambition and full potential of the bilateral commercial relations, advancing prosperity, investment, and job creation in both countries.”

Expenditure by host nations on incoming State Visits by Heads of State/Heads of Government is a well-established practice and in accordance with internationally accepted norms. In this context, the Government of India incurred certain expenses on accommodation, meals, logistics, etc. in connection with the State Visit to India by the U.S. President. The expenditure is estimated at Rupees 38,00,000/- approximately.
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