Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week during the latter’s visit to the United States. Speaking at a campaign event in Michigan, Trump referred to ongoing trade relations between the US and India and mentioned the upcoming meeting, though he did not provide specific details regarding the location or agenda of the meeting, as reported by Reuters.
PM Modi’s Upcoming US Visit
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to embark on a three-day trip to the United States starting on September 21, where he will attend a series of high-profile events, including the annual Quad Summit. The Quad Leaders Summit, hosted by US President Joe Biden in Delaware, will be the fourth such meeting between the leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue nations: India, the US, Australia, and Japan. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are also slated to attend.
In addition to the Quad Summit, Modi will address the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly. The Prime Minister is also expected to meet with members of the Indian community in New York on September 22, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
Strengthening US-India Relations
The upcoming meeting between Modi and Trump is expected to further bolster the relationship between the two leaders, who have enjoyed warm relations in the past. Their last in-person meeting took place in February 2020 during Trump’s visit to India. The event, which included the “Namaste Trump” rally in Ahmedabad, was hailed as a landmark moment in US-India relations, with Modi describing it as a “path-breaking” step in fostering ties between the two nations.
The two leaders have met several times before, including bilateral talks in Osaka, Japan, ahead of the 2019 G-20 Summit, and during the ASEAN Summit in Manila in 2017.
A Significant Global Partnership
India and the United States continue to maintain strong strategic, economic, and diplomatic relations. Under Modi’s leadership, India has grown to become a key player in global geopolitics, while the US remains one of India’s most important allies, especially in areas such as trade, defence, and technology.
With Modi’s upcoming visit to the US, and Trump’s ongoing campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, the potential meeting may hold significance not only for bilateral relations but also in terms of geopolitical influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
As the global focus shifts towards the Quad Summit and Modi’s engagements at the UN General Assembly, this meeting could play a crucial role in shaping the future dynamics of US-India relations.