‘Will Strengthen Partnership’: Trump to Visit India on 24-25 Feb

The White House said that Trump and Modi talked on telephone over the weekend.

PM Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. 

(Photo: PTI)

United States President Donald Trump will embark on a two-day visit to India, with stops in the capital New Delhi and the western state of Gujarat, on 24 and 25 February, the White House announced on Monday, 10 February.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will make the trip to “strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership,” the announcement said.

Soon after the announcement of the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs also spoke of strengthening ties between the two countries, reported PTI.

Trump Coudn’t Attend Republic Day Parade

The president and the first lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in PM Modi's home state of Gujarat and played an important role in Mahatma Gandhi's life and leadership of the Indian independence movement, the White House said.

The White House said that Trump and Modi talked on the telephone over the weekend, PTI further reported.

India had invited Trump to attend the Republic Day parade as the chief guest last year but the US President could not come due to scheduling issues.

The two leaders have pursued a close relationship, with Modi visiting in September and hosting Trump at a huge rally in Houston, Texas, dubbed “Howdy, Modi!”.

The two leaders also met in August at the G7 summit held in the French town of Biarritz.

Trump's predecessor Barack Obama had travelled to India in 2010 and 2015.

Prime Minister Modi, while interacting with the media alongside President Trump, had rejected any scope for third party mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, saying the two countries can discuss and resolve all issues bilaterally and “we don't want to trouble any third country.”

(With inputs from PTI.)