PM Modi lands in Washington for key 2-day US trip amid Trump tariff threats | What's on agenda?
During the Washington trip, PM Modi will hold a series of high-level meetings, likely with US President Donald Trump as well.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Washington in the early hours of Thursday (late Wednesday EST) for a crucial two-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties with the United States after Donald Trump's return to the White House as US President and his tariff threats.
During the trip, PM Modi will hold a series of high-level meetings, likely with US President Donald Trump as well, seeking to enhance cooperation across multiple sectors. Follow PM Modi US visit LIVE updates
PM Modi in US | What's on agenda?
PM Modi’s visit marks the second leg of his two-nation tour, which began with a France trip on Monday, February 10. As one of the first world leaders to meet with President Donald Trump following his inauguration on January 20, the visit is expected to focus on a wide range of bilateral issues, with experts anticipating that sensitive topics could also be raised during the discussions, according to a news agency PTI report.
-Tariff threats: While the official agenda for the talks remains undisclosed, the visit comes at a pivotal time, following Donald Trump's recent threats of tariffs on countries he deems to be ‘harming’ the US economy. Donald Trump notably singled out China, India, and Brazil as key targets, adding some tension to the atmosphere ahead of PM Modi's visit.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday said she believes that tariffs would come before Thursday's visit by PM Modi.
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-Illegal immigration: The timing of PM Modi's is also significant given the recent deportation of 104 illegal Indian immigrants from the US, a move that sparked concern and anger in India.
-Engaging with new US admin: The prime minister’s visit is seen as an important opportunity to engage with the new US administration on a variety of shared interests, senior officials said cited in the report said. These include trade, investment, defence cooperation, counterterrorism, Indo-Pacific security, and technological collaboration.
-Interaction with Indian diaspora, students in US: Additionally, PM Modi will interact with US business leaders and members of the Indian diaspora, which boasts a significant presence of 5.4 million people, along with over 3,50,000 students from India studying in the US.
-Joint statement: At the conclusion of the visit, officials expect a joint statement outlining the key outcomes of the discussions.
Foreign secretary Vikram Misri, in a briefing on February 7 in New Delhi, emphasised that the visit highlights the importance of the US-India partnership, which enjoys bipartisan support in the US. PM Modi’s trip also serves to reaffirm the commitment made by both leaders shortly after Trump’s inauguration to meet and strengthen bilateral ties.