We are on the same page, Modi tells Don
US, India must go beyond bilateral ties and work for the future of Asia and the world: PM
The relationship between India and the United States goes beyond mutual interest and can be beneficial for Asia and humanity at large, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday to US President Donald Trump, who described him as a “friend” who is “doing a great job”.
The two leaders had a bilateral meeting in Manila on Monday — described by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar as a “cordial, constructive and comfortable talk between the two” — during which they discussed a range of key issues, including defence and security, the threats posed by terrorism to the region, trade ties and market access as well as a “broad review of the strategic landscape in Asia”.
“The relations between India and the US are growing... and I also feel that the relationship between India and the US is not only for mutual interest. It goes beyond that. We are working together for the interest, for the future of Asia and for humanity as a whole in the world,” Mr Modi said.
“The cooperation between India and US can rise beyond bilateral cooperation... We are moving ahead together on many issues,” he added.
Lavishing further praise, the US President said Mr Modi was doing "a fantastic job by bringing lots of factions in India together..."
The relationship between India and the United States goes beyond mutual interest and can be beneficial for Asia and humanity at large, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday to US President Donald Trump, who described him as a “friend” who is “doing a great job”.
Mr Modi also assured President Trump that India will try to “live up to the expectations” of the US and the world and thanked the US President for speaking “highly” about India during his trips. The comments came ahead of their bilateral talks and reflect the growing convergence of the two nations on strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific region.
Mr Modi later told the Asean leaders that the “task of transforming India is proceeding at an unprecedented scale”.
The talks come a day after officials of four countries — India, the US, Japan and Australia — held a meeting amid signs of an emerging “Quadrilateral” that is being seen as a mechanism to check Chinese military and economic assertiveness in the AsiaPacific region, which is now being referred to by President Trump as the “Indo-Pacific” region.