WASHINGTON: Sergio Gor, the White House personnel director and a loyal member of President Donald Trump’s inner circle, has been nominated as the next American envoy to India, a move that comes amid an estrangement of ties between the two countries over trade-related issues.

President Trump, announcing the nomination of 38-year-old Gor to the key ambassadorial position, said he will also serve as the special envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs.

“For the most populous region in the World, it is important that I have someone I can fully trust to deliver on my agenda and help us ‘Make America Great Again’,” the president said on social media.