President Trump Greets Indian Prime Minister Modi at the White House--2nd Update
June 26 2017 - 8:06PM
Dow Jones News
By Carol E. Lee and Eli Stokols
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi said after their first meeting on Monday
that they agreed to expand cooperation between their two countries
on combating terrorism, stabilizing Afghanistan and overcoming
differences on trade.
Mr. Trump said the U.S. and India are close to completing a
natural-gas deal, though he quipped that it hadn't been signed yet
because he is "trying to get the price up a little bit." He also
called on India to remove barriers to U.S. exports to make way for
"fair and reciprocal" trade between the two countries.
"The future of our partnership has never looked brighter," Mr.
Trump said in a statement delivered standing alongside Mr. Modi in
the Rose Garden at the White House.
Mr. Modi invited Mr. Trump to visit India with his family and
said his economic vision for his country is compatible with the
president's campaign-slogan promise to "Make America Great Again."
He said India's development is in America's interest.
"Be assured that in this joint journey of our two nations
towards development, growth and prosperity, I will remain a driven,
determined, and decisive partner."
As part of closer cooperation on terrorism, he said the U.S. and
India will enhance intelligence sharing.
Mr. Trump also has yet to sign off on a policy toward
Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mr. Modi stressed that India has "played
an important role in rebuilding Afghanistan."
Mr. Trump also mentioned his concern about North Korea's nuclear
weapons and missile programs, saying it represents a threat that
"has to be dealt with and probably dealt with rapidly." He didn't
elaborate. Mr. Trump in a Twitter message last week said that his
plan to enlist China in pressuring North Korea to reverse course
"has not worked out."
In advance of Mr. Modi's White House visit, the U.S. sanctioned
Mohammad Yusuf Shah, senior leader of a militant group that has
used violence against Indian troops in the Kashmir region. India
and Pakistan have been embroiled in a conflict for decades over
Kashmir.
Mr. Trump briefly mentioned the importance of eliminating trade
barriers that weigh on U.S. exports, but he didn't criticize the
U.S. trade deficit with India in the same strong terms he has used
toward other major economies.
U.S. merchandise imports from India are about twice the level of
its exports to the South Asian country, resulting in a trade
deficit of $24.4 billion last year. U.S. officials say barriers to
agricultural goods and India's policies on intellectual property
weigh on American farmers and businesses.
The meeting on Monday took place amid differences between
Messrs. Modi and Trump on issues such as trade, climate change and
immigration. Mr. Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2015 international
climate accord, of which India is a signatory.
But the two men papered over their differences as they worked to
establish a rapport in discussions set over approximately four
hours, including a private dinner at the White House. They hugged
after their public statements.
After welcoming Mr. Modi, Mr. Trump said he had been reading
about him and that India is doing well economically, for which he
congratulated the prime minister. "It's a great honor to have Prime
Minister Modi of India, who has been such a great prime minister,"
Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Modi said he was grateful for the visit and mentioned Mr.
Trump's visit to India before he became president.
William Mauldin contributed to this article.
Write to Carol E. Lee at carol.lee@wsj.com and Eli Stokols at
eli.stokols@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 26, 2017 19:51 ET (23:51 GMT)
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