Hours after President Trump paved the way to raise the trade relationship of the United States with India through a broad “mutual” tariff, he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a unified front during a press conference on Thursday at the White House.
Mr. Modi has become the last head of state to strive to put Mr. Trump increasingly by trying to absorb his demands-even when the promised definitions of Mr. Trump attach to the White House meeting. Mr. Modi took advantage of Mr. Trump, using his slogan, “Make America Great again” in English, although he often speaking through a translator, and applying the logo to India. “Make India Wonderful again”, Mr. Moody Crowe.
Warm greetings also extended to Elon Musk, the continuous companion of Trump wandering in the federal government as head of an initiative to reshape and reduce the federal government: the two held a meeting and pictures. Mr. Musk, the richest man in the world, has a number of companies, including Starlink, a high -speed internet service, which has sought to enter India.
All compliments have hidden a number of tensions between the two countries, including in two issues of signing Mr. Trump, trade and immigration. Mr. Trump hinted to the largest thorn when he said at the press conference that the United States had nearly $ 100 billion in a trade deficit with India, although he infused the number – in 2024, the number was nearly 50 billion dollars.
Just hours ago, Mr. Trump had directed his advisers to Creating new tariff levels For countries around the world that take into account a range of commercial barriers and other economic methods adopted by commercial partners in America. India is among the nations that may face special consequences in particular of the definitions.
At the press conference, Mr. Trump said he had played this idea during his first term, and indicated that he could not get India to reduce the customs tariff against the United States after that. Now, “We’ll only say,” whatever the charge, we are receiving, “said Mr. Trump.
“I think this is fair to the people of the United States,” said Mr. Trump. “I think it is already fair to India.”
Despite the economic penalty on the horizon, Mr. Modi opened his remarks by saying that he focused on doubling bilateral trade to $ 500 billion by 2030 and “very soon concluded a useful trade agreement for both parties” with the United States.
Mr. Modi also said that India and the United States will create a framework for defense cooperation during the next decade, and added that the two countries will also cooperate to develop semiconductors, quantum technology and artificial intelligence.
Even in a case that angered some of his voters in India, Mr. Modi sought to put Mr. Trump. At some point, Mr. Modi was asked about an American military plane full of immigrants from India that the United States sender To the Indian Punjab state last week.
The video posted by an official in the United States showed immigrants in restrictions, and to pay anger in India.
Mr. Modi did not admit that. He said: “We see that any person enters another state illegally, has no right at all in this country.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Mr. Trump met Mr. Modi in the Oval Office, to which some cabinet secretaries joined. The two leaders sat on chairs, and they were presenting questions from the correspondents.
Mr. Moody and Mr. Trump enjoyed a general friendly relationship. Mr. Modi welcomed Mr. Trump for a massive gathering during a presidential visit to India during the first term of Mr. Trump.
Before Mr. Trump and Mr. Modi met, the Indian Prime Minister sat with Mr. Musk.
Mr. Modi shared photos on the website Musk for social media, X, which emphasized the strength of Mr. Musk inside the Trump administration: The billionaire sat in front of the American flag next to the Prime Minister and the Indian flag, a kind of situation usually shocked by the President of the State and that Mr. Trump himself took over in recent weeks. Mr. Musk was accompanied by chiffon Zelis, a long -term consultant and mother to some of his children, as well as three of his children, who seemed to exchange gifts with Mr. Modi.
At the press conference, Mr. Modi said he knew Mr. Musk for some time.
This fourth visit to Mr. Trump was from a foreign leader in the rapid caliphate in the past few weeks, as he deals with foreign policy through an expansionist mentality and a firm desire to push other countries to compensate the United States because of its military spending. He had already met with the leaders of Israel, Japan and Jordan.
Theodore Mill The reports contributed.
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