Amidst tensions in India-US relations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet with US President Donald Trump. While the exact date remains undisclosed, a high-ranking American official has intimated that Modi and Trump will soon be face-to-face.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the State Department official opined that despite recent months of strain, bilateral relations remain intact. He then revealed that President Donald Trump will soon meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Additionally, the date for the Quad summit is expected to be finalized either this year or early next year.
Highlighting the robust personal between Modi and Trump, the official stated, 'I'm sure you'll see the two meet. They have a very, very positive relationship...So there's a lot coming up on the US India relationship, and I think we'll see some continuous positive momentum,' as per the HT report.
The official also made it clear that Trump is not weighing India and Pakistan on the same scale. Simultaneously, he indicated that America would not interfere in the Kashmir issue. According to HT report, the Trump administration official stated, 'It is our longstanding policy that this is a direct issue between India and Pakistan and the President, as he is doing with every issue, stands ready if we are asked to offer our good offices. But he has enough crises on his hands. This is between India and Pakistan to solve.'
In May of this year, Trump had proposed mediation on the Kashmir issue following the India-Pakistan conflict. However, informed circles believe that America is retreating from this stance.
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has traveled to America to attend the United Nations General Assembly session. He has also met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Some diplomatic analysts speculate that they discussed the Modi-Trump meeting. Bilateral trade agreement negotiations are also ongoing between the two countries. However, no consensus has been reached thus far.
Modi recently spoke with Trump over the telephone. On September 16th, the US President called the Prime Minister to extend birthday wishes. Modi promptly responded with a positive message on social media. Against this backdrop, a section of diplomatic analysts believes that a face-to-face Modi-Trump meeting could significantly untangle the complexities in their relationship.
