New Delhi: As had been speculated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will, indeed, be visiting the United States later this month and hold talks with President Donald Trump within a month of his assuming office for a second term.
Confirming the trip, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said PM Modi’s US visit will take place on February 12-13. Modi’s US trip will follow his visit to France, from February 10-12, to co-chair the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris.
“PM Modi would be amongst the first few world leaders to visit the United States following the inauguration of Trump. The fact that the Prime Minister has been invited to visit the US within barely three weeks of the new administration taking office shows the importance of the India-US partnership and is also reflective of the bipartisan support that this partnership enjoys in the US,” Misri said on Friday.
Trump has met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and is due to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in the next few days in Washington.
Modi’s meeting with Trump will be significant in more ways than one. Though India escaped the first round of tariff imposition by the American government, India has long been among Trump’s targets.
The deportation of illegal immigrants could be another topic on the agenda for the two leaders.
Modi called Trump on January 27, a week after the former was sworn in as President. The two leaders discussed issues such as immigration, security and trade ties, the White House said. Modi, who referred to Trump as his “dear friend”, said they will work together for the “welfare of our people” and “towards global peace”.
Modi and Trump shared a great bonhomie during the latter’s first term (2017-2021), when he hosted the Indian PM for the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston. Modi reciprocated by holding a ‘Namaste Trump’ event in Ahmedabad during the American President’s visit to India.
