President Barack Obama welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House for their seventh meeting since Modi took office in 2014, underscoring the warm relationship between the leaders and the world’s two largest democracies.
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“I can tell you that there was important progress on finalising agreements relating to defence logistics, sharing of maritime information, and even the movement of USA aircraft carriers in the region”, White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.
Officials from both sides said India and the USA have finalized the text of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA).
The two government leaders also announced plans on Tuesday for India and the US Export-Import Bank to work together toward a competitive financing package for the project.
“India civil nuclear agreement and demonstrating a shared commitment to meet India’s growing energy needs while reducing reliance on fossil fuels”, the White House said.
Modi also announced his intention to formally join the worldwide climate-change agreement reached in Paris in December.
Modi told an event organized by the U.S. India Business Council that relations between India and the United States were “closer than ever”.
There was also some progress on a landmark civilian nuclear agreement between the USA and India that was reached in 2008. Indian students accounted for the second-largest group of foreign students in the United States in the 2014-2015 school year, with the number of students from India in the U.S. increasing by over 29% to a record high of almost 1,33,000.
Questions have been raised about Obama’s efforts to persuade the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) to accept India as a member.
WASHINGTON (AP) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets to burnish his standing as a trusted US partner Wednesday, addressing a joint meeting of Congress after years of being shunned in Washington over religious violence in his home state.
Now, Modi was greeted by a flag-bearing military honour guard when he arrived at the entrance to the West Wing for talks with Obama. PM Modi also outlined his vision for the future continuing sound macro-economic policies, combined with inclusive growth and expanding reforms. The speech will be the fifth such address by an Indian premier, and the first in more than a decade.
However, the USA has not made any decision in this regard so far, the senior administration official said.
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The Indo-US joint statement released soon after the meeting spoke of Obama welcoming India’s application to join the NSG and re-affirmed that India is ready for the membership.
