US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that “strategic issues” would be on the table when he holds talks with his “true friend” Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington on Monday, as the two leaders look to strike a personal rapport in their maiden meeting. “look forward to welcoming India’s PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!,” Trump posted on his official (@POTUS) Twitter handle.
Modi, in his reply to Trump, thanked him for the “warm personal welcome” and said he was “greatly” looking forward to the meeting and discussions on Monday at the White House.
The PM, who arrived in Washington DC on Sunday morning on the second leg of his three-nation tour, will hold his first summit talks with Trump on Monday afternoon in the White House.
The two leaders would spend several hours together in various settings, including one-on-one and delegation-level meetings, a reception and a working dinner. The working dinner that Trump is hosting for Modi is the first of its kind under the current US administration.
The India-US civil nuclear deal is expected to figure during talks between Modi and Trump, but a pact between the NPCIl and Westinghouse to build six power reactors in Andhra Pradesh is unlikely to be signed.
As Modi arrived at Hotel Willard Intercontinental in Washington to address a round-table gathering of top American business honchos on Sunday, he was welcomed with loud cheers and applause by the Indian community members who were waiting outside the hotel to catch a glimpse of the PM. Members of the Indian community urged Modi to raise the contentious H-1B visa issue besides defence cooperation and terrorism during his first bilateral meeting with Trump.
The PM told the business magnets, “The whole world is looking at India. 7,000 reforms alone (have been carried out) by the Government of India for ease of business and minimum Government, (with) maximum governance.
The growth of India presents a win-win partnership for India and the US both. US companies have a great opportunity to contribute to that.”
Among the dais were Google’s Sundar Pichai, Apple’s Tim Cook and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos.
While talking about the biggest tax reform, Modi said, “The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST (Goods and Services Tax Bill) could be a subject of studies in US business schools.”
Ahead of the summit talks, the Trump administration had dismissed reports that it has been ignoring India, saying President Trump realises that the country has been a “force for good” in the world and ties with it were important.
“I think that the US really appreciates India, and I think that President Trump realises that India has been a force for good in the world and that it’s a relationship that’s important. And I think that will come through in the visit on Monday,” the official said.