According to various sources there are high chances of American President Donald Trump paying a visit to India later next month. Security and logistics teams from Washington are expected in Delhi this week to prepare in advance for a possible visit by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Last year Mr. Trump declined the Indian invitation of being the chief guest at the prestigious Republic Day and this time also the date of his arrival has not been finalised but there are speculations of him arriving at the end of February as long as dates don’t need to be changed to accommodate the impeachment process in the U.S. Senate.
Sources said that Trump’s decision to visit India, at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation, was discussed during a telephone call between the leaders on January 7. If sources are to believed, Mr. Trump is very much looking forward to visit early this year to popularise himself among Indian diaspora in U.S. ahead of elections in November, and both parties are working towards a visit in the last week of February. India’s Ambassador to Washington, who is now the Foreign Secretary-designate Harsh Shringla, met Mr. Trump before returning to Delhi, and will begin preparations from the Indian side for the visit.
There has been several agreements between the two countries that are on the pending list and among them one is a trade deal that has been on the holds since November of 2018. Last year, the U.S. cancelled India’s preferential export ‘GSP’ status, and the Indian government is hoping that Mr. Trump will announce a revocation of that decision on his visit. India is also expected to announce further investments in the U.S. and a substantial increase in American oil imports.
Trump’s visit will provide a diplomatic boost to both the leaders as both of them are facing their own set of challenges in the recent times. While Mr. Trump will have to go through the second step of his impeachment process, Narendra Modi is facing some of the largest protests his government has encountered over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, as well as international criticism over the government’s continuing restrictions in Jammu and Kashmir.
