India Rolls Out Red Carpet for Visiting President

‘Namaste Trump’ event to welcome U.S. president. . .

U.S. President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to India from February 24-25 was a hotly anticipated event promoted by Prime Minister Modi as ‘Namaste Trump’ in reciprocation for the ‘Howdy Modi’ event held last year in Houston, Texas. Trump and his high-level delegation received a grand welcome from Modi at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad – capital of the PM’s home state. Trump participated in roundtable meetings with top CEOs from Indian industry, concluding his trip with a ceremony and a state banquet at the Rashtrapati Bhavan – the official residence of the President of India.

The press conference . . .

At a press conference toward the end of the visit, Trump refused to comment on India's controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, instead stating, “I don’t want to discuss that.” On trade and business, Trump talked about a successful meeting with businesses that agreed to invest billions in America. He also talked about deals on defence and energy, adding that India, while the “highest tariff nation,” could see future trade deals with the U.S. by the end of the year. On terrorism, the visiting president suggested he is willing to help both India and Pakistan to address the problem. On India’s economic potential, he commented that the country is going to be influential in the next 50-to-100 years.

The joint statement . . .

Both Modi and Trump released a joint statement after a bilateral meeting, agreeing to scale up relations in trade, security, technology-sharing, and regional stability. In the statement, the leaders promised to strengthen a United States-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, deepening defence ties and indicating a willingness to transfer advanced military technology from the U.S. to India. The joint statement also emphasized the need for an open and secure internet without specifically mentioning 5G telecom networks. Both Modi and Trump praised “wonderful deals” paving a way forward for major trade deals in the future, the deepening of economic ties, and the resolution of outstanding trade disputes.

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