Trump praises Modi, presents vision of ‘free,open Indo-pacific’

NEW DELHI: President Donald Trump singled out India’s success story for praise on Friday as he spoke of the US forging a new partnership with countries in Asia to promote prosperity and a free and open Indo-pacific region.

Though he was addressing CEOS on the margins of the APEC Summit at Danang in Vietnam, Trump’s speech was peppered with repeated references to the “Indo-pacific”, a new term coined by his administration to signal a shift in its priorities in the region.

“Since India opened its economy it has achieved outstanding growth and a new world of opportunity for its expanding middle class,” he said. “And Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has been working to bring that vast country and all of its people together as one and he is working at it very, very successfully indeed.”

He offered a “renewed partnership to work together to strengthen the bonds of friendship and commerce” between all countries of the Indo-pacific to promote prosperity and security. In an apparent reference to China, Trump said the vision of a “free and open Indo-pacific” was shared by sovereign nations with a vision of justice and accountability that have promoted private property and rule of law.

Modi is leaving for the Philippines on Sunday, where he will attend the India-asean and East Asia Summits.