New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the US on February 12, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. This would be PM Modi’s first visit to the US after President Donald Trump’s historic comeback to the White House.
According to the travel plan, PM Modi will fly to Washington DC after his two-day visit to Paris, sources said, adding there is no official announcement yet.
PM Modi will be among a handful of foreign leaders to travel to Washington DC on a bilateral visit within weeks after the Trump administration came to power.
PM Modi is travelling to Paris to attend the Artificial Intelligence Action summit on February 10 and 11.
If PM Modi goes to the US, it would be amid concerns in India over Donald Trump’s approach on immigration and tariffs.
Donald Trump on Sunday announced imposing a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports as well as an additional 10 per cent tax on Chinese goods. Later, he put a hold tariff on Mexican imports, but did not announce any relief for the other two.
In a phone call on January 27, a week after the new US President’s inauguration, PM Modi and Donald Trump agreed to work towards a “trusted” partnership with a focus on boosting India-US cooperation in trade, energy and defence.
Following the phone talks, the White House said Donald Trump emphasised on the importance of India increasing its procurement of US-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trade relationship.
India has already indicated its keenness to expand energy ties with the US, especially in the clean energy sector.
India on Saturday announced plans to amend its nuclear liability law and set up a nuclear energy mission, a move that came ahead of PM Modi’s likely visit to the US.
Certain clauses in India’s Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 have emerged as hurdles in moving forward in implementing the historic civil nuclear deal that was firmed up between the countries 16 years ago.
India is said to be looking at the possibility of civil nuclear cooperation with the US in small modular reactors (SMRs). US-based Holtec International is one of the leading exporters of SMRs and the Department of Atomic Energy is learnt to be interested in collaborating with the American firm.
With inputs from PTI
