Washington, Feb 14 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emplaned for New Delhi after concluding a highly productive visit to the US, marked by key diplomatic engagements and strategic agreements.
His trip, highlighted by a warm reunion with US President Donald Trump, reaffirmed the strong and evolving India-US partnership.
As PM Modi arrived at the White House on Thursday, President Trump welcomed him with a hug and said, "We missed you, we missed you a lot." The meeting marked their first in five years, and both leaders quickly rekindled their friendship. "It's great to see you again," PM Modi responded, setting the tone for a cordial and constructive engagement.
During a joint press conference, President Trump praised PM Modi's leadership, calling him "a special man" and "a great leader". He also acknowledged PM Modi's significant contributions to India's progress, stating, "He is a great leader and doing really a great job in India. Everybody talks about him. He's doing really a fantastic job."
Reflecting on their previous interactions, Trump recalled his visit to India in 2020 and the grand "Namaste Trump" event in Ahmedabad, which he described as "tremendous".
A major highlight of the visit was the launch of a new initiative, the "US-India COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce & Technology) for the 21st Century."
The initiative aims to strengthen collaboration across key sectors, including defence, trade, and technology.
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), "As the leaders of sovereign and vibrant democracies that value freedom, the rule of law, human rights, and pluralism, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed the strength of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, anchored in mutual trust, shared interests, goodwill, and robust engagement of their citizens."
The leaders also set a new economic target under the "Mission 500" framework, aiming to double bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. Additionally, they announced plans to sign a new ten-year Framework for the US-India Major Defence Partnership, underscoring their commitment to deepening defence ties.