Prime Minister Narendra Modi Arrives in Washington for Key Bilateral Talks with President Donald Trump
Washington, Feb 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday evening for a two-day visit, marking his first in-person meeting with President Donald Trump since his return to the White House for a non-consecutive second term. The Prime Minister, who flew in from France after attending the AI summit and holding bilateral talks with President Emmanuel Macron, was welcomed at the airport by Indian Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, and other officials.
Modi, who is set to spend the night at Blair House, a government facility located just steps from the White House, is expected to engage with senior government officials and business leaders throughout his visit. On Thursday, the highlight of the visit will be the bilateral talks with President Trump, which will be followed by a dinner attended by a select group of guests.
Trade and energy are anticipated to be key discussion points during the bilateral talks, scheduled for Thursday afternoon (early Friday morning in India). A joint statement outlining the outcomes of the meeting will be issued shortly after the discussions. In the meantime, Prime Minister Modi will meet with US officials and business leaders to further strengthen ties between the two countries.
The relationship between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump has been notably warm and mutually beneficial. The two leaders previously addressed a “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston, Texas, in 2019, and Modi hosted Trump at the “Namaste Trump” rally in Ahmedabad, India, in 2020. During his address at the Ahmedabad rally, President Trump expressed his gratitude, stating, “You have done a great honour to the American people. Melania and my family, we will always remember this remarkable hospitality. We will remember it forever. From this day on, India will always hold a very special place in our hearts.”
Prime Minister Modi is among the first foreign leaders to meet President Trump after his return to office, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and Jordan’s King Abdullah II. The visit has been planned since the US elections in November 2024, with the White House confirming the invitation shortly after Trump’s re-election.
The Prime Minister’s visit, occurring just weeks into the new US administration, underscores the significance of the India-US partnership, which enjoys strong bipartisan support in the United States. As Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri noted, the visit provides a valuable opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including trade, investment, technology, defence cooperation, counter-terrorism, and Indo-Pacific security.
Additionally, the strong people-to-people ties between India and the US, with a 5.4-million-strong Indian community and over 350,000 Indian students studying in US universities, play a vital role in further enhancing this relationship.
Prime Minister Modi’s visit is expected to build upon the substantial engagement India has had with the US under the Trump administration, laying the groundwork for deepening bilateral ties in the future.
