PM Modi, Donald Trump To Hold Bilateral Talks Today In New York On Sidelines Of UNGA

Discussion between the two leaders may take place to address the growing bilateral trade disputes between India and the US, potential defence and energy deals and the Afghan peace process.

India and US relations ascended new heights on Sunday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump together addressed the Howdy Modi! event at Houston. / AP/PTI Photo(AP9_22_2019_000241B)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with the United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon, on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. The meeting will take place at 12.15 p.m. local time (9.45 p.m. IST), Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar said at a briefing on Monday. The two leaders are likely to discuss a range of bilateral, regional and global issues. Discussion may take place to address the growing bilateral trade disputes between India and the US, potential defence and energy deals and peace process in Afghanistan. Donald Trump will also deliver his address to the UN General Assembly and subsequently will hold a number of bilateral meetings. PM Modi is also scheduled to host special event-- 'Leadership Matters: Relevance of Gandhi in the Contemporary World'- at the Economic and Social Council Chamber at UN headquarters in New York. Earlier on Monday, Donald Trump had met Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, and told him that mediation between India and Pakistan would be possible only if both the countries agreed to it. The meeting between the two leaders comes a day after the ‘Howdy Modi’ event in Houston, where both Trump and Modi had shared the same dais to address nearly 50,000 Indian-Americans and Hindu-Americans. Taking the US-India relations to new heights, the leaders of the world's two biggest democracies echoed similar sentiments on pressing issues such as climate change, terrorism, energy and trade. Notably, the friendship between Modi and Trump was on full display at the event. In a never-seen-before display of camaraderie, the two leaders held hands and took a lap around the NRG Stadium after the two leaders addressed the 'Howdy, Modi!' event. Prime Minister also took the occasion to vouch for Trump ahead of 2020 presidential elections, saying "ab ki baar Trump sarkar" - modifying the 'Ab ki Baar Modi sarkar' slogan coined for the 2014BJP election campaign. Meanwhile, President Trump, on Monday, attended the UN Climate Change summit and became a spectator while the Indian Prime Minister delivered a speech on India's bid for climate protection. The unexpected attendance came nearly two years after the Trump administration pulled out of the 2015 Paris accord in 2017. (inputs from agencies)