US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday agreed to meet at the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, next month to discuss bilateral relations and global matters as the two leaders pledged to further strengthen the US-India strategic partnership and build on the achievements of the last two years.
This was agreed when Trump telephoned Modi to congratulate him on the historic parliament poll victory. “President Trump congratulated the Prime Minister on the unprecedented electoral victory. The two leaders agreed to meet at the forthcoming G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, to discuss bilateral relations and global matters. They also agreed to work together for further enhancing the close and strategic partnership between the two countries,” India’s External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Friday night.
The G-20 Summit meeting is slated for June 28 and 29. The US and India have made enormous strides together which include the expansion of bilateral defence cooperation and combined military exercises, the civil nuclear deal, the nearly six-fold increase in US-India trade, the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative and the designation of India as a Major Defence Partner.
Later speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said, "I just spoke to Prime Minister Modi and I gave him my warmest regards and congratulations."
"I just conveyed congratulations on behalf of our country, myself and everybody. He had a great election win. He is a friend of mine. We have a very good relationship with India".
On Thursday, congratulating Modi on his election win on Twitter, Trump said "great things" are in store for the Indo-US strategic ties under his second innings.
Modi responded saying “I too am looking forward to working closely with you for closer bilateral ties, which also augur well for global peace and prosperity."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi continued to receive congratulatory messages from leaders across the world. These included telephone calls from Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and former Prime Minister of Nepal, Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’.
Warmly felicitating the Indian Prime Minister, President Sirisena noted the enhanced engagements between the two neighbours and expressed his desire to further deepen the ties between the two countries. Modi thanked Sirisena and expressed his readiness to work even more closely for the benefit of the people of the two countries and the region.
Sincerely thanking the King of Saudi Arabia for his warm felicitations and good wishes for the progress and prosperity of the people of India under the leadership of Modi, the Indian PM conveyed his appreciation for the guidance of the Saudi King to relations between India and Saudi Arabia.
