Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi is likely to meet the US President Donald Trump on February 13 in Washington DC. Trump is also expected to host a dinner for PM Modi.
PM Modi would be arriving in Washington on the evening of 12th February following his official trip to Paris for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit on February 10-11 with the likeliness of spending another day there.
This meeting will make PM Modi one of the first leaders to meet President Trump post his induction into office for the second term. Furthermore, PM Modi was also one of the last leaders to have met former US President Joe Biden at the end of his term marking the strong diplomatic relation between India and the US.
Following the swearing ceremony of Trump as the President on 20th January, PM Modi had a conversation with Trump over a phone call last Monday. Following the phone call Trump revealed the likelihood for Modi to be visiting the US in February.
White House had described the call as ‘productive’. In their phone call, Trump urged India to buy more made-in-America security equipment and move towards a “fair” trading partnership.
During the lengthy call between the two leaders, illegal immigration was also discussed, with Modi assuring Trump that India would take steps to repatriate immigrants identified as Indian.
Trump is believed to be committed to reducing the US trade deficit with India and advocating more assertively for American commercial interests in India during this term, with a strong emphasis on achieving tangible results.
In the recent budget, custom duties on key items have been reduced assuring benefits for US companies. India has also indicated its plans to engage in more energy purchases, which are expected to be from the US.
Furthermore, enhanced commercial nuclear cooperation can be expected between India and the US following the amendment of the nuclear liability legislation in the budget.
