Don't have positive indications of any major outcomes from Trump's visit: Anand Sharma

Ahead of US President Donald Trump's maiden visit to India, former Union minister and Congress leader Anand Sharma on Sunday said so far there are no positive indications that the high profile visit would yield any major outcomes. The US president and First Lady Melania Trump will be in India from February 24 to 25. The visit is important in relation to the fact that the US is a major power, but that is all, Sharma said.

"So far I do not have any positive indication of any major outcome. It will be a continuation of defence and security cooperation, and a reaffirmation of our cooperation in space and nuclear sciences. It is ongoing and it will not be a new thing," the former minister who handled external affairs under the Congress-led UPA 1 told PTI.

He claimed that during the visit, there would neither be any trade agreement nor restoration of India's status under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP) bracket which the country previously had.

"There won't be any trade agreement. There won't be restoration of the GSP with all indications and the US making negative statements," he said.

"By putting India in the bracket of developed countries list, the US would drastically cut down any of the access and even the H1B visas which were available to India as a developing country because the US has quotas. So let us see. Except for a helicopter deal, there appears nothing in the offing," Sharma said.

He said "we would have to wait and see if there will be outcomes". On whether Trump's visit would mean anything with regard to Pakistan, he said it was unlikely.

"US President Trump will give one message today and he will give another message tomorrow. He has done this in the past. Do not forget after the 'Howdy, Modi' event in Houston how he met Pakistan PM Imran Khan. So let us wait. They will not take an extreme position.

"They need Pakistan also for what they are doing in Afghanistan," said the deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha.

Sharma said the Trump visit should also not be seen as an attempt to balance the rise of China. "China is five times bigger than us. India is in no position to balance. The US has its own equations with China (which) one should not forget. They make noises but they reach agreements quickly. They have a trade agreement. Let us wait," the Congress leader said said.