Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said it is an honour for India that United States President Donald Trump will be visiting the country. Trump will arrive in India for a two-day visit on Monday. He will hold consultations with Modi in New Delhi and a roadshow in Ahmedabad.
India looks forward to welcoming Donald Trump, Modi said in a tweet. “It is an honour that he will be with us tomorrow, starting with the historic programme in Ahmedabad,” he said.
Earlier this month, Modi had said he was “extremely delighted” about Trump’s visit. “India will accord a memorable welcome to our esteemed guests,” he had tweeted on February 12. “This visit is a very special one and it will go a long way in further cementing India-USA friendship.”
Trump will land in Ahmedabad around noon on Monday and attend an event at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, which is the world’s biggest cricket stadium. The US president will address the event along with Modi, which is titled “Kem Chho Trump [Howdy Trump]”.
India is hoping to negotiate a trade deal with the United States during Trump’s visit. On Thursday, Trump said proposed new Indian tariffs have complicated negotiations, but he will “talk business” with Modi. “I’m going to India next week and we’re talking trade,” Trump said at a rally in Colorado. “They’ve been hitting us very hard for many, many years but I really like Prime Minister Modi.”
The United States president is also likely to discuss religious freedom with India during his visit. “President Trump will talk about our shared tradition of democracy and religious freedom both in his public remarks and then certainly in private,” an unidentified senior official at the White House said on Saturday.
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