FFormer President Donald Trump said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to meet with him next week – the latest visit by a foreign leader or official as the country grapples with the prospect of a Republican return to power after the November election.
“He’ll probably meet with me next week, and Modi, he’s great,” the Republican presidential nominee said Tuesday during a town hall in Flint, Michigan, as he announced the visit in response to a strong response to free trade and protectionism. US jobs.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for information about the meeting.
Modi will be in the US this weekend, where he is expected to attend the Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, Delaware hosted by President Joe Biden. On September 23, Modi is expected to address the “Conference on the Future” at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Trump has met with other world leaders this year, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who visited the former President at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in March and Polish President Andrzej Duda at Trump Tower in New York.
As President, Trump traveled to India in 2020, a trip that saw Modi roll out the red carpet at the Republican court, attracting large crowds, including an event at a cricket stadium where he was greeted by more than 100,000 people. .
Under Biden, the US has pledged to work with India on technologies such as artificial intelligence and has committed to joint production of critical defense technologies. Biden sought to strengthen relations with Asian countries to better combat China’s growing military and economic influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The President also hosted Modi at a state dinner in 2023.
But US-India relations under Biden have also been strained in part by New Delhi’s reluctance to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. India relies on Russia for military equipment and cheap oil, and has refused to criticize Vladimir Putin for his attacks.
Modi visited Kyiv in August for the first time since the war began and has called for diplomatic talks to end the conflict.