New Delhi
There may be a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump soon. This meeting may take place in mid-February. This will be possible only if Trump attends the AI summit organized in Paris. This summit has been called by the President of France. If Trump does not come to the AI summit, Modi may go to Washington DC in February. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders.
The date of the meeting has not been decided yet
Sources said that no date has been decided yet. All options are being considered amid the possibility of tensions over the issue of illegal immigrants and tariffs. The final decision will be taken after a few more meetings with the Trump administration. Modi will attend AI summit. Trump has also been invited for this summit. If Trump comes to the summit then both the leaders can meet there. President Trump last met Modi in India in February 2020. There is good chemistry between the two leaders.
Modi and Trump held Howdy rally in 2019
The US President will visit India at the end of this year. India will host the Quad Summit. In 2019, Trump held a ‘Howdy Modi’ rally with Modi in Houston. About 50,000 people participated in this rally, mostly Indian Americans.
The meeting between Modi and Trump can be important in many ways. Many issues like trade, defense and security can be discussed between the two countries. This meeting can further strengthen the relations between the two countries. It will be interesting to see what results from this meeting.
The meeting of both may take place in February
India, a strategic partner of the US in its efforts to counter China, is keen to expand trade ties with the US and make it easier for its citizens to obtain skilled worker visas, sources said. If there is a meeting between the two leaders, both these topics will be included in the agenda.
However, it has not been officially informed about any plans by the US to impose tariffs. India is also ready to provide incentives to attract more American investment.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officials hoped that the upcoming meeting between the two would help in taking the relationship forward positively in Trump’s new term.
Trump visited India in February 2020 during his previous tenure. Then, Modi was welcomed by more than 100,000 Indians at a cricket stadium in his political hometown of Ahmedabad, where he promised India “an incredible trade deal.”
In 2019, Trump held a “Howdy Modi” rally with Modi in Houston, which was attended by 50,000 people, mainly Indian Americans.
Many important issues will be discussed between the two
Laying the foundation for a new Modi-Trump meeting is also on the agenda of Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who attended Trump’s swearing-in ceremony on Monday and met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The United States is India’s largest trading partner and bilateral trade between the two countries will exceed $118 billion in 2023/24, with India registering a trade surplus of $32 billion.
Sources said that other topics of discussion between the two leaders will be increasing partnership in technology and defense sectors. Immigration will be another area of discussion, as Trump has promised to crack down on illegal immigration, but has said he is open to legal immigration of skilled workers.
India, known for its vast pool of IT professionals, many of whom work around the world, accounts for the bulk of the skilled worker H-1B visas issued by the United States. The US State Department said Rubio discussed concerns related to “irregular migration” with Jaishankar on Tuesday.
