On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, the Trump administration has dismissed reports that it has been…
(Photo: AFP)
On the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, the Trump administration has dismissed reports that it has been ignoring India, saying President Donald Trump realises that the country has been a "force for good" in the world and ties with it were important.
"I think that it would be wrong to say that this administration has been ignoring or not focused on India," a senior administration official told reporters ahead of the two-day Modi visit from June 25.
The Prime Minister would meet President Donald Trump face-to-face for the first time at the White House on Monday.
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"I think that the US really appreciates India, and I think that President Trump realises that India has been a force for good in the world and that it's a relationship that's important. And I think that will come through in the visit on Monday," the official said.
The senior administration official made the remarks while responding to questions on whether the US-India relationship has drifted under the new government, in part, because of President Trump and the administration's support to China.
"I think it's a bit unfair. I mean, we're only six months into the administration. But there have been two very good phone calls between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi that you can point to as showing both countries' interest in the relationship," the White House official argued.
"Yes, this will be the first opportunity for them to sit down and have a conversation, but I think that this is still fairly early on in the administration," the official said.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said President Trump and Prime Minister Modi would have a very robust discussion when they meet at the White House.
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