Donald Trump's interaction with Modi as positive invitation
Washington sources have stated that the leaders of the world’s two greatest democracies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, spoke over the phone on Tuesday in the fifth interaction by the newly elected US head with a foreign leader after he assumed office. Trump invited Modi to visit the US.
BBC has reported that Washington has said Mr. Trump saw India as a “true friend and partner in addressing challenges around the world” and the two discussed opportunities to strengthen the partnership between the US and India in broad areas such as the economy and defense".
The White House has said it looked forward to welcoming Mr. Modi later this year. During his campaign, Trump praised Modi as a “great leader” and sought a kinship of ideas with him as a “pro-growth leader”. The call to Modi so soon after Trump’s inauguration is itself a sign of India’s importance to Trump.
So far, Trump has spoken only with the neighbors Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Mexican President Pena Nieto and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who will have a major role in helping Trump deal with the Middle East and with terrorism. It was stated that the call took place shortly after the Senate Foreign Relations Committee cleared the first phase of the appointment process for Nikkai Haley to become the US ambassador to the United Nations.