Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the United States on February 12-13 to hold discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump. The visit is expected to focus on important issues such as trade, defence, and energy cooperation. This will be PM Modi’s first bilateral visit to the U.S. after President Trump started his second term on January 20 following his election victory in November.

Before heading to the U.S., Modi will visit Paris on February 10-11 to attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit. After concluding his visit to France, he will travel to Washington D.C. and is expected to land there on the evening of February 12. The discussions with President Trump are scheduled for the next day, February 13.

Reports suggest that PM Modi will be one of the first few world leaders to visit Washington D.C. for a bilateral meeting since the new Trump administration took charge. However, there is still no official confirmation of the visit from the Indian government.

Last week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) mentioned that India is working closely with Washington to schedule an early visit for PM Modi.

Key concerns for India

PM Modi’s visit comes at a time when there are concerns in India about the U.S. President’s policies on immigration and trade tariffs.

Recently, President Trump announced a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports, along with an additional 10% tax on Chinese goods. These decisions have raised questions in India about how future trade with the U.S. might be affected. Additionally, immigration policies remain a topic of concern, particularly for Indian professionals and students living in the U.S.

Strengthening India-U.S. ties

PM Modi and President Trump had a phone conversation on January 27, where both leaders promised to work together to strengthen the India-U.S. partnership.

A statement from the White House after the call highlighted that President Trump emphasised the importance of India purchasing more U.S.-made security equipment and moving towards a fair trade relationship.

“Both leaders emphasised their commitment to advance the US-India strategic partnership and the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership, with India hosting Quad Leaders for the first time later this year,” the White House stated.

India has already expressed interest in expanding its energy cooperation with the U.S., especially in the clean energy sector.

India’s nuclear liability law and future cooperation

Ahead of PM Modi’s visit, India announced plans to amend its nuclear liability law and establish a nuclear energy mission.

Certain clauses in India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010, have made it difficult to move forward with the India-U.S. civil nuclear deal, which was finalised 16 years ago.

India is now exploring the possibility of nuclear cooperation with the U.S. in small modular reactors (SMRs).

A U.S.-based company, Holtec International, is known to be a leading exporter of SMRs. Reports suggest that India’s Department of Atomic Energy is interested in collaborating with the company for future projects.

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