Washington, DC – US President Donald J. Trump on Monday (Mar 27) spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India according to the White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
Addressing journalists in the James S. Brady Briefing Room of the White House, Spicer said, “the President spoke with … Indian Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi earlier today to congratulate him on his party’s success in recent elections,” adding, “We’ll have readouts” on the call a little later for you.
The readout came nearly 24 hours later on Tuesday and stated that President Trump called Modi, “to congratulate him on the outcome of India’s recent state-level elections.”
Post-election days saw Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming government in four states: Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Goa, but it was routed in the Northern state of Punjab by its main rival, the Congress Party.
In his third telephonic conversation with Modi after his electoral victory in November last year, President Trump “expressed support for the Prime Minister’s economic reform agenda and emphasized his great respect for the people of India,” the readout said.
Narendra Modi in Washington DC later this year
Indian Prime Minister Modi will be coming to Washington DC later this year as the White House statement read, “President Trump also said he looks forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi in Washington later this year.”
No date was mentioned for the visit, but the two leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Germany in July. The White House confirmed Modi’s visit in another statement saying he, “looked forward to visiting Hamburg, Germany for the G-20 Summit on July 7th and 8th.” Sources are putting the Modi visit date to the US in the coming Fall. This 2017 visit will be his 5th to the United States after coming to power a few years ago.
Tejinder Singh, Editor, India America Today & White House Correspondent