On his tour to the U.S. that begins on Saturday PM Modi would meet President Trump twice. As per the information provided by Indian envoy to America, the two leaders would meet twice in a span of less than 1 week. The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive in Houston on 21st September.
Not once, but twice!
PM @narendramodi is scheduled to meet US President @realDonaldTrump twice in less than a week this month: Indian Ambassador Harsh Vardhan Shringlahttps://t.co/x8gn2GmPYV
— moneycontrol (@moneycontrolcom) September 19, 2019
On the 22nd September, the PM would attend a specially organized Howdy Modi rally in Houston where he would be accompanied by Trump. Since his re-election as PM Modi has already met Trump twice at the G7 and G20 summits held in France and Japan.
The meetings of Modi and Trump during his tour to the U.S. would mark 4 such engagements in a span of few months. Post the Howdy Modi rally the two leaders would meet on the sidelines of UN General Assembly (UNGA) sessions in New York.
[Also Read: Sardar Patel Inspired Decision On Kashmir Says PM Modi]
A Record Of Its Kind
PM Modi and the former U.S. President Barack Obama set the record for most number of meetings between the leaders of the two nations. However, this would be the first time an Indian PM would be meeting the U.S. President 4 times in a span of 4 months.
The meetings between the two leaders are reflective of the strategic partnership that has emerged between the two nations as one of the key bilateral relationships from the start of this century and has the potential to become the defining partnership within this century.
India had already signed important agreements with the U.S. in the recent past. Prominent of which are the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA), the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Association (LEMOA). Other agreements are also on various stages of discussion.
In recent times the frequency of bi-lateral exercise between the two nations has also increased. Malabar (naval exercise that also includes Japan), Cope-India (Air Force), Yudh Abhyas (Army) and Vajra Prahar (Special Forces), are popular bi-lateral exercises between India and U.S.
Extending its reach into the Pacific India also participates in US-led multinational exercises like the RIMPAC and Red Flag. The 2+2 Dialogue — a joint meeting between the Foreign and Defense Ministers of the two countries is another extension of bilateral relations of the two countries.
Apart from bilateral arrangements, the two nations are also engaging at the trilateral and multilateral level meets as well. Meetings between India, the US, and Japan as well as Quadrilateral DG-level meetings between India, the US, Japan and Australia are a manifestation of that.
Counter-terrorism has been an important area of collaboration for the two nations. The U.S. support during listing of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Masood Azhar by the UN Security Council in May 2019, in the wake of the Pulwama terrorist attack was a good example of that.
