The White House officially announced that American President Donald Trump will visit India on February 24 and 25, 2020, along with First Lady Melania Trump. Trump's maiden visit to India will provide an opportunity to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. "The visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review progress in bilateral ties and further strengthen our strategic partnership," the MEA said.
Trump was invited to grace the Republic Day parade as the chief guest last year but scheduling issues meant that the same couldn’t happen.
Trump and the First Lady are likely to attend official engagements in Delhi and Ahmedabad, and interact with a cross-section of the Indian society. The main outcome of his visit is likely to be the finalisation of a trade deal.
"During a phone call over the weekend, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed the trip would further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people," White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
The MEA said the global strategic partnership between India and America is based on "trust, shared values, mutual respect and understanding", and marked by warmth and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.
"The relationship has further evolved under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, with significant progress in all areas, including trade, defence, counter-terrorism, energy, coordination on regional and global issues as well as people-to-people ties," the MEA added.
