Prime Minister Modi had his first chat over the phone with President Donald Trump, a full week after he was sworn in for his second term.
“Delighted to speak with my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS,” Modi posted on X (formerly twitter), adding “Congratulated him on his historic second term. We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity and security.”
Details of the conversation or how long it lasted were not clear. Nor is it known if there was any talk of an early Modi visit to the White House. There were reports earlier about Indian and US diplomats trying to arrange a visit sometime in February.
In any case, Trump is due in India for the Quad Summit, which is expected to take place later this year. It’s speculated he may opt for a bilateral visit probably before the Quad event.
Between now and then would give both sides enough time to flesh out exactly what they want from each other, and ensure the fundamentals of the relationship are not disturbed.
In any case, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has just got back from attending the Trump inauguration.
He also met Secretary of State Marco Rubio (and other foreign ministers of the Quad), so he would have come away with a broad understanding of how the US see India and what to expect from the Trump administration going forward.
Illegal immigration is a hot button issue in the US and Jaishankar made it clear India would cooperate with the repatriation of its nationals staying there without proper visas or documentation.
Jaishankar, in his meeting with Rubio, also referred to India being a major source of legal migration to the US, and the need to ensure they are not disturbed. He also mentioned delays in the issue of US visas which affected not only business but also tourism.
In recent days Trump has spoken positively about the H-1B visa, on the basis of which thousands of Indians are able to live and work in the US.
