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NEW DELHI, April 21 – U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi touted progress in talks for a trade deal between the two countries, their offices said on Monday, as New Delhi\u00a0rushes to avoid<\/a>\u00a0U.S. tariffs and court Trump’s administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vance arrived in India earlier on Monday for a largely personal four-day visit to the country with his family, which includes visiting the Taj Mahal and making a speech in the city of Jaipur, U.S. officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two leaders also noted continued efforts towards enhancing cooperation in energy, defence and strategic technologies, among others, a statement from Modi’s office said after talks between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They discussed regional and global issues and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward, it said, reiterating a standard Indian line about global conflicts without naming any. New Delhi has in the past used this formulation for the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “(The) prime minister conveyed his warm greetings to President Trump and said that he looked forward to his visit to India later this year,” it added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Statements from the Trump administration said the two countries agreed on a roadmap for further discussions on trade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vance’s office said talks present “an opportunity to negotiate a new and modern trade agreement focused on promoting job creation and citizen well-being in both countries.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a statement on Monday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer pointed to an “serious lack of reciprocity in the trade relationship with India” that needed to be resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vance landed in New Delhi following a visit to Rome, where he held a private meeting<\/a> with Pope Francis on Easter Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vance’s wife, Usha, is the daughter of Indian immigrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n