Modi-Trump meeting possible in June or July

A meeting between United States President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi may be on the cards in the next couple of months, according to a report published today in The Indian Express. Sources in Indian and US government have reportedly confirmed the possibility of Modi travelling to America for a stand-alone bilateral visit in the month of June or July. The US State Department is reluctant to host foreign leaders for bilateral meetings in September – when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is scheduled – as the “calendar is too crowded”, sources told IE. Modi and Trump are also expected to meet during the G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany in early July.

The possibility of the two leaders meeting was raised during talks with Trump’s National Security Advisor (NSA) HR McMaster, who was in Delhi on Tuesday. “McMaster’s meetings with Indian officials, including the Prime Minister, has explored the possibility,” a source said. McMaster also met with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar. A statement issued by the US embassy said, “NSA McMaster emphasised the importance of the US-India strategic relationship and reaffirmed India’s designation as a Major Defence Partner”. The Prime Minister’s Office also put out a statement saying “Prime Minister recalled his positive telephonic conversations with President Trump that reaffirmed the importance attached by both sides to the strategic partnership and to stepping up India-US engagement across the board”.