Indian Prime Minister Modi arrives in the US for talks with President Trump
The Indian Prime Minister began his visit with a meeting with newly appointed US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flight landed in Washington, DC, on the evening of February 12 (local time) to begin a two-day visit to the US at the invitation of President Donald Trump. According to New Delhi, bilateral talks between the two leaders are expected to focus on important areas such as trade, defense and counter-terrorism.
Modi's plane landed at Joint Base Andrews at around 6 p.m. local time. During his stay from February 12 to 13, the Indian leader is expected to stay at Blair House, the official US presidential guest house located across from the White House. The Indian community in the US gave him a "particularly warm" welcome despite the cold weather as he traveled to his accommodation.
Prime Minister Modi wrote on social media X: "Looking forward to meeting President Donald Trump and further strengthening the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between India and the United States. Our two nations will continue to work closely for the benefit of our people and for a better future for our planet."
In addition to the important meeting with Mr. Trump on the second day of his visit, Mr. Modi has at least six other meetings scheduled, according to the Times of India. Reuters also reported that he may meet billionaire Elon Musk to discuss the possibility of Starlink entering the Indian market.
However, Indian Prime Minister Modi's first high-level meeting was with Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who had been confirmed by the US Senate as Director of National Intelligence hours earlier after facing intense scrutiny on Capitol Hill for her past views.
"Met US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard in Washington, DC. Congratulated her on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-US friendship, of which she has always been a strong supporter," Modi said in another social media post.
Ahead of his visit to Washington, Prime Minister Modi struck an optimistic tone, saying the trip would provide an opportunity to build on past successes and chart a path for deeper cooperation. He highlighted areas of focus including technology, trade, defense, energy and supply chain resilience.
