In a stern warning to Pakistan, India and the US on Tuesday asked Islamabad to ensure that its soil is not used for cross-border terror with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump vowing to boost their fight against terror groups like ISIS, JeM, leT and D-Company.
During the meeting that was high on symbolism, there was no mention of contentious issues like the H-1B visa reform and climate change.
As the two leaders held their maiden meeting at the White House and displayed a lot of chemistry, the two leaders also called on Pakistan to “expeditiously” bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai, Pathankot attacks and other cross-border terrorist assaults by Pakistan-based groups. Modi and Trump also decided to broaden the India-US strategic, defence and trade ties.
“Our robust strategic partnership is such that it touches upon almost all areas of human endeavour. In our conversation today, President Trump and I have discussed all dimensions of India-US relations at length,” Modi said.
“Both nations are committed to a bilateral architecture that will take our strategic partnership to new heights,” the PM told reporters in his joint Press statement with Trump at the White House Rose Garden.
Trump, on his part, said, “During my campaign, I pledged that if elected, India would have a true friend in the White House. And that is now exactly what you have — a true friend.”
“Working together, I truly believe our two countries can set an example for many other nations, make great strides in defeating common threats, and make great progress in unleashing amazing prosperity and growth,” he said.
The meeting, however, seemed to be dominated by the discussions on cross-border terrorism with the leaders announcing increased cooperation to prevent terrorist travel and to disrupt global recruitment efforts by expanding Intelligence-sharing and operational-level counter-terrorism cooperation.
The joint statement also called on Pakistan to ensure that its territory is “not used to launch terror attacks on other countries.”
Ahead of the meeting, the US State Department had set the tone for the summit by declaring Syed Salahuddin, chief of Kashmiri terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen, as a “global terrorist”.
The Trump administration also confirmed that it had given its approval to the multi-million dollar sale of a transport carrier to India, along with a separate purchase of around 20 Guardian drones.
“I would say the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better,” Trump told Modi.
“I look forward to working with you, Mr Prime Minister, to create jobs in our countries, to grow our economies and to create a trading relationship that is fair and reciprocal.”
Modi highlighted his Government’s economic reforms and the ease of doing business in the country.
“We consider the United States as our primary partner in India’s socio-economic transformation in all our flagship programs and schemes,” Modi said.
The leaders also affirmed their support for a UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that will advance and strengthen the framework for global cooperation and reinforce the message that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism, the joint statement said.
During his address to the media, the PM said, “We talked about terrorism, extremism and radicalisation and agreed to cooperate on this. Fighting terrorism and doing away with the safe shelters, sanctuaries, and safe havens will be an important part of our cooperation.”
Trump said he is keen to work with Modi on creating a “fair and reciprocal” trade relationship between the two nations and called for the removal of “barriers” for the export of US goods into Indian markets. “It is important that that we reduce our trade deficit with your country,” he added.