NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Monday spoke about working collectively for international peace and safety and measures to advance cooperation in key areas equivalent to expertise, commerce and defence of their first dialog because the American chief’s inauguration final week.
The telephone name, initiated by the Indian aspect, adopted exterior affairs minister S Jaishankar’s participation because the Indian authorities’s consultant at Trump’s inauguration on January 20 and the Quad overseas ministers’ assembly in Washington, the Trump administration’s first overseas coverage engagement.
Modi supplied particulars of the dialog in a submit on X, by which he stated he congratulated his “expensive good friend” on his second time period in workplace.
“We’re dedicated to a mutually helpful and trusted partnership. We’ll work collectively for the welfare of our individuals and in the direction of international peace, prosperity, and safety,” Modi stated.
The 2 leaders reaffirmed their dedication to a “mutually helpful and trusted partnership”, an Indian readout stated. Additionally they mentioned facets of the bilateral complete international strategic partnership and measures to advance it, together with in expertise, commerce, funding, vitality and defence, the individuals stated.
Modi and Trump exchanged views on international points, together with the scenario in Ukraine and West Asia, and “reiterated their dedication to work collectively for selling international peace, prosperity and safety”. Additionally they agreed to fulfill at an early mutually handy date, the readout stated with out giving particulars.
The decision got here in opposition to the backdrop of buzz in diplomatic circles in regards to the Indian aspect engaged on an early assembly between the 2 leaders. Neither aspect has spoken formally about such a gathering, although Trump is anticipated to journey to India later this yr to attend a Quad Leaders’ Summit to be hosted by New Delhi.
The Indian aspect can be eager to construct on work executed with the Biden administration, particularly the launch of the Initiative on Important and Rising Expertise (iCET) that has seen the 2 sides working collectively on a spread of defence platforms and leading edge applied sciences equivalent to AI and semiconductors, and the ramping up of defence and safety engagements, each bilaterally and thru boards equivalent to Quad.
As they put together to deal with the chaos and uncertainty related to a Trump administration, Indian officers are drawing consolation from Jaishankar’s conferences with US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Nationwide Safety Advisor Mike Waltz – the primary engagements of the 2 US leaders after assuming workplace – and the Quad overseas ministers’ assembly as indicators of the American aspect’s continued dedication to the connection with New Delhi.
Jaishankar, whereas addressing the media in Washington on January 22, stated these conferences signalled that the Trump administration “prioritising the bilateral relationship” and wish to construct on the muse of the ties that had been constructed throughout the first Trump administration.
Emphasising that there’s a “very sturdy diploma of belief” and a “very excessive degree of convergence” of pursuits between India and the US, Jaishankar stated there was additionally settlement within the latest conferences in regards to the have to be bolder, greater, and extra bold in regards to the bilateral relationship.
Amid Trump’s discuss of imposing “100% tariffs” on the Brics bloc, which incorporates India, and his administration’s sweeping crackdown on unlawful migrants, the Indian aspect has signalled its willingness to work with the US to deal with all points associated to commerce and unlawful immigration. Trump’s actions have triggered issues in regards to the potential fallout on India, although the basics of the bilateral relationship stay sturdy and commerce in items and providers soared to $190 billion in 2023.
“Our strategy has all the time been to deal with points in a constructive method which is in line with the pursuits of each international locations and we…stay in shut communication with the US administration and wish to proceed to work in the direction of strengthening our financial partnership additional,” exterior affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal advised a media briefing final week.
In latest months, Trump has talked about doable retaliatory tariffs on China and India, which he labelled the “tariff king” up to now. He has additionally railed in opposition to efforts by Brics members, primarily China and Russia, to push for commerce settlement in home currencies as a part of a shift away from the US greenback. Jaishankar has responded to Trump’s threats on this rely by saying that India “has by no means been for de-dollarisation” and that each one Brics members don’t have an similar place on this difficulty.
The US is India’s largest buying and selling accomplice and bilateral commerce in items exceeded $118 billion in 2023-24, with New Delhi posting a commerce surplus of $32 billion. As a part of efforts to assuage the Trump administration, the Indian aspect is methods to extend imports from the US, together with the doable buy of extra oil and gasoline.
The exterior affairs ministry has made it clear that India is against unlawful migration due to its hyperlinks to organised crime. New Delhi has additionally stated it is going to take again all Indians who’ve both over-stayed within the US or are there with out correct documentation, supplied their nationality is confirmed.
Whereas figures from the US division of homeland safety advised there are near 18,000 unlawful immigrants from India within the US, Indian officers have stated it will be untimely to speak about numbers at this stage.
