U.S. President Donald Trump (R) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hug after giving joint statements at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, June 26, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday held talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, eyeing a robust partnership despite their growing trade frictions.
The two leaders hailed strong bilateral ties and pledged to enhance cooperation in areas such as trade and anti-terrorism.
"After our meetings today, I will say that the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better," Trump said in a televised remark with Modi in the White House Rose Garden.
"India and the United States will always be tied together in friendship and respect," he said.
Modi, on his fifth visit to the United States since taking office in 2014, described the talks with Trump as "extremely important."
"My visit and our talks today will mark a very important page in the history of the collaboration and cooperation between our two nations," Modi said.
However, Modi's visit came amid increased trade frictions between the two countries over the past six months of the Trump presidency.
"The United States is turning up the heat on India on commercial matters, while India expands its vision of 'Make in India' and is courting additional global relationships with new vigor," said Richard Rossow, an expert with Center for Strategic and International Studies, calling the meeting "a singular chance to get an early, favorable course correction."
For the United States and India, "there continues to be differences on trade, investment, and immigration policies," said Tanvi Madan, an expert with the Brookings Institute, a U.S. think tank.
She noted that the Trump administration has highlighted concerns over the trade deficit with India, tariffs, intellectual property concerns, and market access for American companies.
On Monday, Trump said he looked forward to working with Modi to "create a trading relationship that is fair and reciprocal," but he also urged the Indian prime minister to do more to narrow the U.S. trade deficit with India.
"It is important that barriers be removed to the export of U.S. goods into your markets, and that we reduce our trade deficit with your country," Trump said.
The U.S. president also said he was pleased to learn about Indian Airlines' recent order of 100 new American planes, which he said will support "thousands and thousands of American jobs."
Last year, U.S. trade with India totaled an estimated 114.8 billion U.S. dollars, and U.S. trade deficit with India was 30.8 billion dollars, according to U.S. official figures.
In a statement issued after the leaders' meeting, Trump and Modi said they are committed to strengthening cooperation against terrorist threats from groups such as Al-Qaida and the Islamic State.
Trump said both countries have been struck by the "evils of terrorism," and are determined to destroy terrorist organizations and the radical ideology that drives them.
Modi also stressed that "the top priority for both President Trump and myself is to protect our society from global challenges like terrorism."
The leaders announced increased cooperation between the two countries to prevent terrorist travel and to disrupt global recruitment by expanding intelligence-sharing and operational-level counterterrorism cooperation.
The two countries also pledged to deepen defense and security cooperation, building on the United States' recognition of India as a Major Defense Partner.
The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale to India of a Boeing C-17 transport aircraft with an estimated cost of 366 million dollars.
The United States has also offered to sell India the Sea Guardian Unmanned Aerial Systems, according to the White House.
