NEW DELHI: India and the US are in touch diplomatically to schedule a visit by PM Modi to the US, but there’s no clarity on how soon it could happen, govt sources said. India has to host President Donald Trump for the Quad summit this year and the timing of the first bilateral visit by Modi to the US could hinge on when India is able to host the Quad leaders.
It is understood that the possibility of an early meeting between the two leaders was discussed by foreign minister S Jaishankar and US secretary of state Marco Rubio, though there was no official confirmation by either side. Trump had invited Modi to visit the US early into his first stint as president in 2017. Modi had then visited the US in June that year.
Trump was reported to have told his advisors last week that he would like to soon visit both China and India. “Trump has also talked to advisers about a possible trip to India, according to people close to him,” he was reported as saying by Wall Street Journal.
The two leaders could also meet as early as next month in France which is hosting the AI action summit.