President Barack Obama met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Tuesday, seeking to advance ties between the world’s two largest democracies and build on a much-vaunted friendship between the two leaders.
Advertisement
In an additional win, he has also bagged the allowance of India’s membership to m the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), a key anti-proliferation grouping.
Among the strong, shared interests that bring the two leaders together to the White House this week, however, is a concern about “the rise of China within Asia”, says Hajari, adding that Modi believes partnering with the U.S. in defense helps “both countries counter that”.
Lauding India’s youth prowess, US President Barack Obama said that India is a young country and the US is aware of the talent Indian youth has.
Modi said that the USA and India have been cooperating on issues of global concern, including nuclear security, climate change and terrorism.
India has been closely following the U.S. presidential election campaign, specially the ascent of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
“As global partners, we are committed to enhancing our homeland security by sharing intelligence, through counter-terrorism and law-enforcement cooperation, while we jointly work to maintain freedom of navigation and lawful commerce across the seas”, they said.
Under India’s “Make In India” initiative and the expansion of the co-production and co-development of technologies under the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), the two nations are starting DTTI working groups to include agreed items covering naval, air and other weapons systems.
Prospects for quicker implementation of the Paris climate change agreement got a little brighter today, when India Prime Minister Narendra Modi essentially backed a U.S.
Environmental groups had hoped Modi would say that India was ready to ratify the agreement during his Washington trip to cross that 55 percent threshold.
Coinciding with this visit, India’s admission to the MTCR is seen as a big takeaway from Modi’s visit with help from the US.
“.I think the bottom line for us is that we believe that through engagement with India and through engagement with groups like the NSG, we are in a better position to support India as a good citizen on these issues”, Rhodes said.
On September 23 in 2015, Modi again flew to NY, where he addressed a UN Sustainable Development Summit and participated in a Summit on peacekeeping hosted by Barack Obama.
His last meeting with President Obama before he demits office will be one of consolidation.
“With India now on board, a growing chorus of countries are seeking to bring the Paris Agreement into full effect as soon as possible”, said Andrew Steer, president of the World Resources Institute, in a statement.
The items returned to India included religious statues, bronzes and terra-cotta pieces, some dating back 2,000 years, plundered from some of India’s most treasured religious sites.
The highlight of Modi’s visit this year will be his address to a joint sitting of the US Congress on Wednesday.
Advertisement
Prior to Switzerland, he visited Afghanistan and Qatar.
