US President Donald Trump could make his first-ever state visit to India by the latter half of February, media reports claimed on Tuesday. The exact date of Trump's proposed visit is expected to be confirmed subject to the progress of the impeachment proceedings against him in the US Senate.
The Hindu reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reiterated an invitation to Trump to visit India during a phone conversation between the two leaders on January 7. Modi had invited Trump to be the chief guest at the 2019 Republic Day Parade, but the US leader declined, citing scheduling constraints.
The Hindu quoted sources as saying "Security and logistics teams from Washington are expected in Delhi this week to prepare for a possible visit by US President Donald Trump."
Trump would be the fourth successive US president to visit India after Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Obama, in fact, visited India twice: In 2010 and in 2015, when he was the first US leader to be the chief guest at the Republic Day Parade.
The Hindustan Times reported that the Indian invitation to Trump was reiterated during the '2+2' dialogue between the defence and foreign ministry officials of the two countries. "The Indian invitation to Trump was reiterated last month by defence minister Rajnath Singh and external affairs minister S Jaishankar, when they called on the US president at the White House after their meeting with their American counterparts Mark Esper and Mike Pompeo. The US president gave a positive response...” The Hindustan Times reported.
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A key focal point of a proposed Trump visit to India would be a trade deal between the two nations. India-US trade ties hit a rough patch in June 2019, when Trump cancelled India's preferential trade status. The Hindu reported, "The government hopes Trump will announce a revocation of that [preferential trade] decision during the visit."
Other deals could involve pacts on civil aviation, data localisation and e-commerce, which have been key US demands.
The main point of uncertainty over the proposed Trump visit will be the ongoing impeachment proceedings against him. The Hindu reported, "...the date of the visit, currently scheduled around February 24, may have to be shifted to accommodate the Senate vote on his impeachment motion".
