Modi invited to meet with Trump next week - Bloomberg
Photo: Narendra Modi (Getty Images)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited to meet with US President Donald Trump next week. They are to meet in Washington, D.C., at the White House, Bloomberg reports.
The agency writes that earlier in January, Trump also announced that he would host the Indian prime minister.
“I had a long talk with him this morning and he’s going to be coming to the White House in the next month, probably in February,” Trump told reporters.
For now, a Bloomberg source from the Oval Office confirmed that the meeting will take place next week.
Meanwhile, the Indian Foreign Ministry refused to comment on the meeting. However, last week, Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that “the two sides are working on an early visit of prime minister to the US to further deepen” their partnership.
Although the two leaders enjoyed a cordial relationship during Trump's first term in office, ties between their countries have become strained.
Late last year, the US Department of Justice announced bribery charges against Gautam Adani, an Indian tycoon and Modi ally. Also, the administration of now ex-President Joe Biden accused an Indian official of trying to organize a foiled plot to kill an American citizen in New York.
However, in recent weeks, Modi has taken steps to prevent any clashes between the US and India over trade issues, quickly making a series of concessions to the White House.
In the latest developments, the Modi government unveiled the first-ever overhaul of its tariff regime, which included sweeping cuts in import duties on everything from textiles to motorcycles. This follows New Delhi's pledge to accept thousands of illegal migrants and keep the dollar as its trading currency.
Bloomberg added that Modi will be among the first foreign leaders to visit the returning US president.
Who will be the first to meet with Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be the first to meet with Donald Trump, and their meeting is expected to take place today.
Before flying to Washington, Netanyahu announced that he would discuss with Trump the victory over Hamas, the release of all Israeli hostages, countering Iran, expanding diplomatic relations with Arab countries, and more.
Recently, the media reported that Trump will watch a documentary about Hamas atrocities committed on October 7, 2023, before meeting with Netanyahu.
