Modi Arrives in Washington
Modi Arrives in Washington
The Indian leader’s trip comes on the heels of an electoral boost for his party back home.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump leave after attending the “Namaste Trump” rally in Motera, India, on Feb. 24, 2020. Money Sharma/AFP via Getty Images
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected in Washington on Wednesday for a two-day visit, and he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday. Modi’s engagements are unlikely to produce splashy new deals. But the trip is an opportunity for Modi and Trump to renew their friendship and to reassert their commitment to U.S.-India partnership.
Trump could relay demands to Modi that he has conveyed to other leaders: reducing tariffs, taking back undocumented immigrants, and buying more U.S. products, including energy and weapons. India already took important preemptive steps—including some tariff reductions—that will likely shield Modi from especially uncomfortable requests from Trump.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected in Washington on Wednesday for a two-day visit, and he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday. Modi’s engagements are unlikely to produce splashy new deals. But the trip is an opportunity for Modi and Trump to renew their friendship and to reassert their commitment to U.S.-India partnership.
Trump could relay demands to Modi that he has conveyed to other leaders: reducing tariffs, taking back undocumented immigrants, and buying more U.S. products, including energy and weapons. India already took important preemptive steps—including some tariff reductions—that will likely shield Modi from especially uncomfortable requests from Trump.
India also may have received a gift from the Trump administration ahead of Modi’s arrival. On Monday, the White House released an executive order pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which the U.S. Justice Department used last year to indict Indian billionaire (and Modi friend) Gautam Adani on fraud charges.
The executive order stipulates that the attorney general will “review in detail all existing FCPA investigations or enforcement actions,” suggesting that the administration may look into the Adani indictment.
Read more in today’s South Asia Brief: Victory in Delhi Gives BJP a Boost
This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration. Follow along here.
Michael Kugelman is the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief. He is the director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington. X: @michaelkugelman
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