PM Modi set to hold talks with US President Donald Trump on June 26

New Delhi: The H-1B visa issue, the menace of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, Indo-US strategic cooperation including defence ties, India’s NSG membership bid, increased Chinese assertiveness in Asia and the Paris climate deal are likely to be among the issues on the table when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets US President Donald Trump on June 26. Mr Modi will be on a two-day visit to the United States from June 25, his first there since the Trump administration took office in January and his fifth visit overall to the US since becoming PM in May 2014.

In a statement, the external affairs ministry said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Washington D.C. on June 25-26, 2017, at the invitation of the President of the United States, Donald J. Trump. The Prime Minister will hold official talks with President Trump on June 26. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. Their discussions will provide a new direction for deeper bilateral engagement on issues of mutual interest and consolidation of multi-dimensional strategic partnership between India and the US.”

The US President had recently withdrawn the US from the landmark Paris climate agreement, saying the climate deal unfairly benefited countries like India and China, and that “India makes its participation contingent on receiving billions and billions of dollars in foreign aid from developed countries”. With the US President’s rash utterances leaving India stunned, Mr Modi had refused to be drawn into a debate on the matter.

The H-1B visa issue had also left the Indian IT industry and the Indian government worried at the adverse fallout of proposed curbs on visas by the Trump administration.

Commenting on the US H-1B visa issue that has New Delhi worried over the fallout for Indian professionals, India had recently said it is “not an immigration issue”, but “a trade and services issue”. The MEA also earlier referred to the “mutuality of interest” in trade and business ties between India and the US, adding several US companies too operated from India.

Both India and the US are also set to discuss the menace of terrorism and measures to combat it, with New Delhi hopeful the US will take strong action against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, among the anti-terrorism measures being taken by the Trump Administration.

Strategic cooperation between the two will also be discussed extensively, with India being a major US defence partner. The situation in Asia, including China’s increased assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region, is also likely to be discussed between the two leaders.