Don gives PM White House tour

Bonhomie at dinner; Ivanka gets PM invite to India meeting

A guided tour of the White House by President Donald Trump, a few laughs and a working dinner — the first for a foreign dignitary at the White House under the current administration — was how Prime Minister Narendra Modi rounded off his US visit. “Well, Mr President (Donald Trump), let me express my gratitude for this invitation that was extended to me. It is true that I have spent a very short time over here, but really, I have felt so much at home during this stay in the United States,” Mr Modi told the President at the dinner hosted in his honour.

The US President was joined by First Lady Melania and vice-president Mike Pence at the dinner. Top Cabinet members like defence secretary James Mattis, secretary of state Rex Tillerson, commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster were also present, along with White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and Mr Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. The dinner table had 13 chairs on each side.

The chief guest arrived in the Blue Room of the White House after a cocktail reception hosted by the First Lady.

“I am indeed also very grateful to the First Lady. She has organised this reception in my honour, and this honours not just me, but 1.25 billion people of India. So, once again, let me thank you and express my gratitude,” Mr Modi said.

Amid laughter, Mr Trump told Mr Modi that he would do the toast as

■ Continued from Page 1 soon as the media leaves. “We’re going to have a very special toast, a very intimate toast,” Mr Trump said. “But again, I want to thank you and all of your representatives. It is such an honour to have you at the White House and in Washington. And we have had tremendous meetings today, tremendous success, and we enjoy a wonderful relationship, but it’s never been better than it is today,” he said.

“And again, any time you’d like, we want to have you back as soon as possible,” Mr Trump said, indicating he would like to have Mr Modi at his house pretty soon.

The two leaders developed an instant chemistry so much so that Mr Trump gave Mr Modi a rare guided tour of the private residence at the White House, including the famed Lincoln Bedroom, and showed him a copy of Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address and the desk on which he wrote it.

Reflecting a new bonhomie between the two leaders, the officials of the two countries were seen chatting as they were waiting for Mr Trump and Mr Modi to arrive at the Blue Room. India’s ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna was seen chatting with Mr Priebus for several minutes and exchanging notes.

Wearing an Emilio Pucci yellow floral dress in crepe, the First Lady joined Mr Trump in welcoming Mr Modi at the South Portico of the White House and then walked with them to the Oval Office.

As Mr Modi was about to depart from the South Portico later in the night after the dinner, he was seen chatting with Melania for more than a minute, apparently thanking her for their great hospitality. According to the First Lady’s office, she oversaw the planning and menu. At the Rose Garden, Mr Modi acknowledged their hospitality. “Right from the opening tweet to the end of their talks, President Trump’s welcome, which was filled with friendliness, his warm welcome to the White House by himself and the First Lady — I would like to thank both of you from the bottom of my heart for this warm welcome,” the Prime Minister said.

Mr Modi invited President Trump and his family to India. “I would like to invite you to India, along with your family. And I hope that you will give me the opportunity to welcome you and host you in India,” Mr Modi said.

Foreign secretary S. Jaishankar, while briefing reporters later, said Mr Trump had accepted the invitation, but no dates have been fixed yet.