Trump 'looking forward' to meeting Modi on June 26, says White House

June 13, 2017 08:24

United States President Donald Trump is looking forward to meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 26, the White House said.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump "looks forward" to his meeting with Modi and discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral ties to "advance our common priorities: fighting terrorism, promoting economic growth and reforms, and expanding security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region."

"President Trump and Prime Minister Modi will look to outline a common vision for the US-India partnership that is worthy of their 1.6 billion citizens," Spicer said.

He said they are expected to set forth a vision that will expand the bilateral partnership "in an ambitious and worthy way of both countries' people."

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her annual press meet last week, however, said Modi would also raise the issues surrounding the US' plans to reduce the number of H-1B visa slots that are mainly used by Indian IT workers.

Almost 1.8 million H-1B visas have been distributed in fiscal years 2001 through 2015, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of government data. From fiscal years 2001 to 2015, workers from India received the largest share (50.5 per cent) of all H-1B visas for first-time employment.

Despite the recent hiccups over the issue, US-India trade has grown six-fold since 2000, from USD 19 billion to USD 115 billion in 2016, according to the White House. "US energy and technologies, including natural gas, are helping to build Prime Minister Modi's vision for a new India and creating thousands of US jobs in the process," Spicer said.

Apart from ways to enhance trade and business cooperation, Modi and Trump are expected to discuss defence ties.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis has already made it clear that his country recognises India as a major defence "partner partly out of respect" for New Delhi's "indispensable role" in maintaining stability in the Indian Ocean region.

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