India, US to address 'sharper edges' of their relations in not so distant future: Jaishankar

Referring to the recent trade differences, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that India and the US would address the 'sharper edges' of their relations in a not so distant future.

"My expectation is that some of the sharper edges that many of you have seemed to pick up would be addressed in some form in a not so distant future. Exactly which ones, all that is really the Commerce Ministers' remit," Jaishankar said while responding to a question on the trade difference between New Delhi and Washington at a press conference here.

The minister said that the trade issues are reflective of substantial relations between the two countries. "The only way you cannot have a trade problem is when you do not trade. Trade problems happen with the people you are closest to because it's actually with them that you do the most trade."

Jaishankar said the government had been engaging for months with the US to try and resolve the trade issues. "It's a glass 90 per cent full rather than 10 per cent empty," he said.

"I have always been optimistic that a time will come when after a lot of these exchanges mostly at the bureaucratic level, there would be an effort to take it to a higher level, then sit down and see where we can find a common ground where there is give and trade and find ways by which it works for both of us," he said.

Jaishankar, who was addressing the press briefing on the occasion of 100 days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi government in power in the second term, said the relations between the two countries have come a long way in the last 20 years when considered "political comfort, security cooperation, amount of trade" between them today.

Speaking on the "Howdy, Modi!" event, in which US President Donald Trump and Modi will address thousands of Indian Americans in Houston next week, the Foreign Minister said it was a "great achievement" for the community.

"I regard this as a great achievement of the Indian American community. When there is an event of this size, and you have someone like President Trump coming there, I think this shows really where that community has reached; how it is regarded in the United States, the respect that it commands out there," said Jaishankar.

He said the Indian community in the US today stands more motivated, inspired, and united by the fact that Narendra Modi is India's Prime Minister.

The mega 'Howdy Modi!' event is believed to be one of the largest events to welcome a foreign head of government ever in the history of the United States.

It will mark the first time that the two leaders would meet outside of either capital Washington DC or New York, where the United Nations is headquartered. Over 50,000 people have already been registered for the event, which will be hosted by the Texas India Forum.