Modi to Meet Trump on Jun 25/26

NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi's visit to the US where he will meet President Donald Trump will take place on June 25-26 with the engagement being seen as an opportunity to set equations and get a measure of the new occupant of the White House.

The dates for Modi's visit are expected to be announced on Monday and come at a time when Trump's critical comments on India while announcing the US decision to pull out of the Paris climate change agreement have injected a degree of uncertainty in bilateral ties. The contacts with the Trump administration so far have not been necessarily disquieting with US national security adviser Gen HRMcMaster reaffirming India's status as a major defence partner during a visit to Delhi in April after stopovers in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Discussions marked a large convergence on key regional and strategic concerns such as terrorism and Afghanistan but Modi's visit to Washington later this month will be a major engagement across a range of subjects that include sticky turfs like H1B visas and trade.

Trump's comments lumping India and China as countries seeking billions for signing up on climate deals has clearly hit a nerve in Delhi and Modi's discussions in Washington can be expected to concentrate in pushing synergies while finessing differences on issues that impact the domestic constituencies of both leaders. In the wake of Trump's remarks, Modi has reiterated India's support to the Paris agreement and said he is willing to go further than what has been committed under the Paris accord. But while defending itself against the charge it has sought western funds, the government has not pushed the issue further.

Given the focus of the upcoming visit, Modi will be in Washington and the Indian delegation will be occupied with engagements with the White House and top administration officials. The PM will meet the Indian community on one occasion. He will look for gains in dealing with Pakistan's role in promoting terrorism and India's case for a seat at the nuclear supplier's group besides enlarging the economic relationship.

So far, Trump has sprung more than a few surprises in his foreign policy. He has rubbed his NATO allies the wrong way , saying US is carrying more than its fair burden in supporting the long-standing trans-Atlantic alliance. He has backed Saudi Arabia against Iran, a move that some feel lacks balance but could also be seen as an attempt to contain at least one major source of instability in the middle-east.

The US President has made some tough noises over North Korea but has not yet moved to significantly reduce America's profile in the Indian Ocean and Pacific. He has moved cautiously with China, reiterating support for its "one China" policy, after initially riling Beijing by accepting a call from Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen.

The Republican administration's political and security priorities may see it take a tougher view of Pakistan's support for terrorism though its strategic geography gives it a bargaining power that no US leader has been able to ignore, allowing Islamabad to continue with a Janus-faced approach to "good and bad" terrorists.