Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first meeting with US President Donald Trump may happen as soon as February. Though Trump said Modi will visit the US sometime in February, speculations are that the world leaders may also meet in Paris on the sidelines of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit next month.
Though no dates have been finalised yet, reports are that the officials of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are in discussions with Trump administration officials.
The new development comes as both leaders had their first phone conversation on Monday. A readout by the White House said Trump stressed the importance of India buying more American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship in the phone call.
In the "productive call," the leaders discussed expanding and deepening cooperation and issues including security in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe. They also discussed plans for Modi to visit the White House, "underscoring the strength of the friendship and strategic ties between our nations," the readout said.
Modi too expressed his delight at speaking with Trump. "Congratulated him on his historic second term. We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security," the prime minister posted on X.
Tanvi Madan, an India expert at Washington's Brookings Institution, said trade and immigration issues are clearly on the Trump administration's agenda when it comes to India. "Its impact will depend in part on India's response to Trumps asks, but also how the broader debate on those issues plays out in Washington," Madan told Reuters.
Trump too told reporters on Monday that he discussed immigration issue with Modi, stating that "India will do what is right when it comes to taking back illegal immigrants."
Last week, when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the latter stressed the need for India to address the issue. Jaishankar had made it clear that India was open to accepting undocumented migrants. India and the U.S. have identified some 18,000 Indian migrants in the U.S. illegally.
The meeting also assumes significance in the wake of the new administration's changed policy on birthright citizenship, H1b, H4 and Green Card norms. Trump said he is open to legal migration of skilled workers.
