Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to United States President Donald Trump over phone on bilateral and regional matters. Modi told Trump that “extreme rhetoric and incitement to anti-India violence by certain leaders in the region was not conducive to peace”.
“He [Modi] highlighted the importance of creating an environment free from terror and violence and eschewing cross-border terrorism without exception,” the statement read. The prime minister also reasserted India’s commitment towards combating poverty, illiteracy and disease.
The last time Modi and trump had met was on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka in June. “Referring to their bilateral discussions in Osaka, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that the Commerce Minister of India and the US Trade Representative would meet at an early date to discuss bilateral trade prospects for mutual benefit,” the statement said.
This is the first time the two leaders have spoken since India’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5. Ahead of the declaration, Trump had told Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan that Modi had asked him to mediate on the Kashmir dispute between the two countries.
While India had refuted the claims, Trump’s administration had said that the president stood firm on his statement. Earlier this month, Trump had reiterated his willingness to help India and Pakistan resolve the decades-old Kashmir dispute “if they wanted”.
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