24.2.20

US President Donald Trump arrives today

US President Donald Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and the top brass of his administration, will kickstart an eagerly awaited tour of India on Monday, a visit expected to significantly ramp up bilateral defence and strategic ties but unlikely to produce tangible outcome in resolving thorny issues like trade tariffs.

The nearly 36-hour-long visit by Trump is also set to send across a clear message of growing congruence of interests on major geopolitical developments in the region and beyond, particularly when China has been expanding its military and economic clout.

In their talks on Tuesday, Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are likely to focus on a wide variety of bilateral and regional issues including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism, energy security, religious freedom, proposed peace deal with Taliban in Afghanistan and situation in the Indo-Pacific, according to Indian and US officials.

The US President’s visit to India comes at a time when the country has been witnessing wide-spread protests against an amended citizenship law, and a strain in Delhi’s ties with Islamabad over Kashmir.

“President Trump will talk about our shared tradition of democracy and religious freedom both in his public remarks and then certainly in private. He will raise these issues, particularly the religious freedom issue, which is extremely important to this administration,” said a senior official at the US White House.

On February 20, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said around five pacts providing for cooperation in areas of intellectual property rights, trade facilitation and homeland security are expected to be finalised during the visit.

A major highlight will be the likely signing of a deal to procure 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters by India from the US at a cost of $2.6 billion. Another contract to acquire six AH-64E Apache helicopters for $800 million from the US is also on the table.

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