India, US will be working together like “never before”: Donald Trump

On the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, Trump said both sides agreed to work to help build one of the "greatest trade routes" in history globally

Washington: India and the US have decided to take a big leap in broad-basing their strategic ties in several critical areas, with President Donald Trump announcing after talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Washington is paving the way to provide New Delhi with F-35 fighter jets as part of increasing military supplies by billions of dollars.

After holding wide-ranging talks with Modi, Trump said there is a “special bond” between the world’s oldest and largest democracies and both sides decided to shore up cooperation in diverse areas such as energy, critical technologies and connectivity.

---

“Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars,” Trump said at a joint press conference with Modi. “We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with F-35 stealth fighters,” he said.

Trump said he and PM Modi have reached an agreement on energy that will make the US a leading supplier of oil and gas to India. The US President also announced that India and the US will be working together like “never before” to confront the threat of radical Islamic terror across the world.

“I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the very evil people of the world,” he said, referring to the extradition of 26/11 plotter Tahawwur Rana to India.

On the contentious issue of tariffs, the US President said Washington wants a level playing field. On the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, Trump said both sides agreed to work to help build one of the “greatest trade routes” in history globally.

Trump also said that India is reforming its laws to welcome US nuclear technologies into the Indian market. Prime Minister Modi said cooperation between India and the US can shape a better world in his remarks. A defence cooperation framework will be prepared for next decade, he said.