02/04/2025
Washington, Feb. 4: US President Donald Trump has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House next week, a White House official confirmed on Monday, Reuters reported.
After Trump took office for his second tenurer, he spoke with PM Modi on January 27 and stressed the importance of India purchasing more security equipment which are American manufactured and have fair bilateral trading ties.
Delhi is poised to enhance trade relations with Washington and make it swift and easier for its citizens to receive skilled workers visas. India is considered to be a strategic partner of the United States in its efforts to counter China.
Discussion between PM Modi and President Trump could also involve trade tariffs which the US president has threatened in the past with India’s high tariffs on US products.
Earlier, the central government had confirmed that the two sides are working on an early visit of PM Modi to the US which could probably be in February.
The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said, “Prime Minister and President Trump had a telephone conversation recently. The two sides are working on an early visit of the PM to the US to further deepen India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. Specific dates for the visit would be announced at the appropriate time.”
According to a Reuters report, the US is India’s largest trading partner and the trade between the two countries crossed $118 billion in 2023-24, with India posting a trade surplus of $32 billion.-Agencies