US Ambassador-Designate Sergio Gor Visits India Ahead Of Formal Assignment

New Delhi: US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor and Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael J. Rigas are in India from October 9 to October 14. The announcement, which was made in a White House press statement released on October 9, stated that Ambassador Gor and the deputy secretary would be meeting with their Indian government on a range of bilateral issues that include a “safer, stronger, and more prosperous Indo-Pacific.” 

A US embassy spokesperson in India made it clear that Ambassador Gor was not formally taking over his new assignment. “This is just a short trip. His presentation of credentials and move to India will occur at a later date that has not yet been determined.”

Gor was formally nominated by President Trump on August 22 this year and confirmed in an en bloc vote (51-47) by the US Senate on October 7. His visit comes at a time of uncertainty in the India-US relationship with the steep rise in prices on H1B visas and uncertainty over the tariffs levied by Trump. What has alarmed New Delhi is Gor’s adherence to Trump’s stance that “India must stop buying Russian oil.”

This suggests there will be little leeway from the US Ambassador on this issue. Former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao had voiced her concerns over Gor’s appointment. “Gor is not a diplomat. He is a long-time Trump aide with no background in India or South Asia. His main qualification appears to be loyalty to Trump.” That being said, Gor’s visit also comes as the bonhomie between PM Modi and President Trump seems to be growing. Modi spoke to Trump on Thursday, congratulating him on the “historic Gaza peace plan.”

The call was the second interaction between the two leaders, with Trump calling to wish the prime minister a happy birthday on September 17. Whether these gestures are symbolic or something bigger remains to be seen, and whether there can be some give and take between India and the US on what are expected to be complex negotiations in the weeks and months also remains to be seen. What is clear is that Gor’s visit, coming as it does before he formally takes up the ambassadorial role, will be crucial.

How much he is able and willing to balance New Delhi’s concerns and convey those concerns to Trump will be a crucial determinant of this relationship. Former Indian ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna says that Gor’s name had never figured in diplomatic circles prior to his appointment, so New Dehi has little idea what to expect with him. “It is good to have an ambassador who has the ear right to the top. It also means that we won’t have a policy kind of filter that might have been able to balance what Trump wants with larger policy. ”