US President Donald Trump announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit the United States in February. Trump stated, “He (PM Modi) will visit the US sometime in February,” according to a report by Reuters.
This announcement came after President Trump had a phone conversation with PM Modi, marking their first interaction since Trump began his second term on January 20. During the call, the two leaders discussed plans to deepen cooperation and expand strategic ties.
The White House said the discussion was about making the US-India relationship stronger. The leaders also promised to work together to develop the Indo-Pacific Quad partnership. It was also shared that India will organise the Quad Leaders' meeting later this year.
Immigration discussions and bilateral talks
President Trump shared that the call also touched on immigration policies. He noted that India would do "what is right" regarding taking back illegal immigrants from the United States. The issue aligns with Trump’s firm stance on addressing illegal immigration, a key focus of his campaign during the last election.
Diplomatic discussions between the two nations are said to be working on finalising the details of PM Modi's visit.
PM Modi's previous US visit
PM Modi last visited the United States in September, where he participated in the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by then-President Joe Biden. Leaders of Quad nations, including Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese and Japan’s former PM Fumio Kishida, attended the meeting.
During the same visit, PM Modi addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York at the ‘Summit of the Future.’
A White House statement described the recent conversation between Trump and Modi as "productive." The discussion underscored plans for PM Modi’s White House visit, reaffirming the strong partnership between the two nations.
India’s external affairs minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, represented the country at Donald Trump’s second-term inauguration.