PM Modi to Meet 'Friend' Trump During US Visit, Seeks to Foster Stronger Ties Between India and US
New Delhi(The Uttam Hindu): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-day visit to the United States on February 12 and 13, marking an opportunity to strengthen the long-standing bilateral ties between India and the US. Ahead of his visit, PM Modi expressed his eagerness to meet his "friend," President Donald Trump, and continue the fruitful collaboration that began during Trump's first term in office. This trip follows PM Modi's three-day visit to France, where he is co-chairing the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. After concluding his France visit, he will head to the US, making this his first trip to the country since President Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025. In a departure statement, PM Modi said, "From France, I will proceed on a two-day visit to the US at the invitation of President Donald Trump. I look forward to meeting my friend, President Trump. Although this will be our first meeting following his historic electoral victory and inauguration in January, I have a very warm recollection of working together in his first term in building a comprehensive global strategic partnership between India and the US."
The Prime Minister emphasized that this visit would be a significant step toward deepening the cooperation between the two nations, especially in areas such as technology, trade, defence, energy, and supply chain resilience. "This visit will be an opportunity to build upon the successes of our collaboration in his first term and develop an agenda to elevate and deepen our partnership, benefiting both our nations and contributing to a better future for the world," said PM Modi. During his stay in Washington, PM Modi is set to hold a bilateral meeting with President Trump and engage with business leaders and the Indian community in the US. This visit occurs within the first month of Trump's second term, following a period marked by tensions, such as US tariffs on Indian products and the controversial deportation of 104 Indian immigrants. The deportation, carried out under harsh conditions, sparked a significant outcry in India's Parliament.
In a recent phone call, the two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, reaffirming their commitment to a trusted and mutually beneficial partnership. PM Modi tweeted, "Delighted to speak with my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS. Congratulated him on his historic second term. We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership." The strong relationship between PM Modi and President Trump was notably displayed during Trump's first term. In 2019, Trump hosted the "Howdy Modi" event in Houston, which was reciprocated by PM Modi in February 2020, when he hosted the "Namaste Trump" event in Ahmedabad during Trump's visit to India.
