On Day 2 of India visit, US President Donald Trump to hold talks with PM Modi

NEW DELHI: On Day 2 of his ongoing India visit, US President Donald Trump will participate in various programmes in the national capital on Tuesday (February 25, 2020). In the morning, Trump and the First Lady would be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. From there, they would go to Rajghat to pay homage at the 'samadhi' of Mahatma Gandhi.

After a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, President Trump and PM Modi will hold extensive talks on the next phase of the bilateral strategic partnership between the two countries.The meeting between President Trump and PM Modi is scheduled at Hyderabad House following which exchange of agreements will take place. During their talks, Trump and PM Modi will aim to expand India-US global partnership, a day after both lavished praise on each other and vowed to script a better future for people of the two democracies.

Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and top brass of his administration, arrived in Ahmedabad around noon on Monday for a nearly 36-hour-long maiden visit to India.

The US President was feted at the Motera cricket stadium - world's largest-- in the massive "Namaste Trump" event and was cheered by tens of thousands of people as Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited him to address them. In his address at the ‘’Namaste Trump’’ rally at Motera stadium in Ahmedabad, the US President announced that deals to sell state-of-the-art military helicopters and other equipment worth over USD 3 billion will be sealed on Tuesday. Later during the day, Trump visited the Taj Mahal in Agra. In the visiting book at the iconic memorial, Trump described Taj as a 'timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian culture'. "The Taj Mahal inspires awe. A timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian culture! Thank you India," he wrote in the visitors' book. 

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi would later host a lunch for the US President following the talks. In the afternoon, Trump is expected to attend certain private events at the US Embassy, including a roundtable with industry representatives.

In the evening, the US President will meet President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. A banquet will be hosted by Kovind in the hour of the visiting US President. President Trump would depart from India later on Tuesday evening.

The deals mentioned by Trump will include the procurement of 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters by India from the US at a cost of USD2.6 billion. Another contract to acquire six AH-64E Apache helicopters for USD 800 million from the US is also on the table.

Tuesday's talks between PM Modi and Trump are likely to send across a clear message of growing congruence of interests between India and the US on major geopolitical developments in the region and beyond, particularly when China has been expanding its military and economic clout. However, the talks between the two leaders are unlikely to produce a tangible outcome in resolving thorny issues like trade tariffs.

In their talks, Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are likely to focus on a wide variety of bilateral and regional issues including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism, H1B, energy security, religious freedom, proposed peace deal with Taliban in Afghanistan and situation in the Indo-Pacific, according to Indian and US officials.