US President Donald Trump, fresh out of impeachment worries, is “looking forward” to his India visit later this month, a post from his official handle on Twitter suggested. Trump also signalled his willingness to sign a potential trade agreement with New Delhi.
“Great honor, I think? Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that “Donald J. Trump is Number 1 on Facebook. Number 2 is Prime Minister Modi of India.” Actually, I am going to India in two weeks. Looking forward to it!” the US President tweeted.
Great honor, I think? Mark Zuckerberg recently stated that “Donald J. Trump is Number 1 on Facebook. Number 2 is Prime Minister Modi of India.” Actually, I am going to India in two weeks. Looking forward to it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 14, 2020
This came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to inform the news of Trump’s visit on February 24-25, saying that “India will accord a memorable welcome to our esteemed guests.” Modi had also said that the visit is a “very special one” and will go a long way in “cementing India-USA friendship”.
“Extremely delighted that @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS will visit India on 24th and 25th February. India will accord a memorable welcome to our esteemed guests. This visit is a very special one and it will go a long way in further cementing India-USA friendship,” Modi had tweeted.
Extremely delighted that @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS will visit India on 24th and 25th February. India will accord a memorable welcome to our esteemed guests.
This visit is a very special one and it will go a long way in further cementing India-USA friendship.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2020
Afterwards, US First Lady and Donald Trump’s wife Melania Trump took to Twitter to thank PM Modi for the “kind invitation” and said that she was looking forward to visiting Ahmedabad and New Dehli later this month.
“Thank you @narendramodi for the kind invitation. Looking forward to visiting Ahmedabad & New Dehli later this month. @POTUS & I are excited for the trip & to celebrate the close ties between the #USA & #India,” Melania wrote on Twitter.
Thank you @narendramodi for the kind invitation. Looking forward to visiting Ahmedabad & New Dehli later this month. @POTUS & I are excited for the trip & to celebrate the close ties between the #USA & #India. https://t.co/49LzQPiVLf
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) February 12, 2020
Trump, along with the First Lady, is scheduled to visit Ahmedabad and New Delhi on February 24 and 25, according to a White House announcement early this week.
This would be president’s first bilateral visit in the third decade of 21st century and also the first after his acquittal by the Senate in the impeachment trial.
President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit to India will be a “delightful spectacle” and “utterly successful” by many measures, eminent American experts on South Asia issues have said.
“I think the Trump visit will be a delightful spectacle and utterly successful by many measures,” Ashley Tellis, who is Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told PTI.
Trump is expected to get a roaring welcome by lakhs of people when he arrives in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
He along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to deliver a historic speech in front of hundreds and thousands of people at the newly build Motera stadium, the largest cricket stadium of the world.
According to Anish Goel, Senior Fellow at New America and former senior White House official, Trump’s upcoming visit is consistent with long-standing policy in both countries to continue strengthening and cementing the bilateral relationship.
“The visit will be a political boon for both the President (Trump) and the Prime Minister (Modi). India is one of the few countries where the President is quite popular. So he can expect a massive turnout for his rally in Ahmedabad. Similarly, the Prime Minister will most certainly get a boost in support from hosting the President,? Goel told PTI.
At the very least, Trump will provide Modi with a welcome distraction from his recent domestic
difficulties, he said.”It is an important and positive step in bringing the two countries closer together. The timing is also significant as this is the first visit by a US President during a year in which he is facing re-election. That itself is a signal of the importance of this relationship for the United States,” he added.
“The deliverables for the visit will surely focus on defense and trade. India has already announced USD 3.5 billion in new defense purchases to be signed during the visit. And everyone is hopeful that a deal normalising the trade relationship will be announced,” he said.
The trade deal was expected last September when Modi visited New York and met Trump but the differences could not be worked out in time.
The White House would not have agreed to this visit to India unless the trade deal was nearing completion in earnest. Outside of trade and defense, the deliverables will likely be modest, Goel said.
“It is important for the President and the Prime Minister to have a comprehensive bilateral meeting in which all critical issues, including Pakistan, are discussed. The strategic partnership between India and the US depends on more than trade and defense sales so it is imperative that they address other strategic issues as well,” Goel said.
Source: dnaindia.com