PM Modi to Visit US in Feb, Announces Trump

A new chapter in India-US ties?

- Prashant Jha

[e-mail] WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the White House sometime in February, US President Donald Trump announced late on Monday (Tuesday IST) as he termed the ties between the two countries as "very good" and claimed that India will do the "right thing" on illegal immigration.

Trump's statements came hours after a call with Modi --one that the White House described as "productive", and one in which Trump asked India to buy more made-in-America security equipment and move towards a "fair" trading partnership.

In an address to Republican lawmakers after the call on Monday, Trump threatened tariffs against India, clubbing it with China and Brazil as countries that "mean the US harm" and exploited the US market.

The announcement of the visit -- which will make Modi among the last leaders that Joe Biden hosted and among the first leaders Trump will host --and the clear articulation of US demands on trade, defence and immigration point to both the diplomatic opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the India-US relationship.