PM Modi, US President Trump meet in Japan; discuss Iran, trade, defence, 5G
Osaka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held wide-ranging talks with US President Donald Trump and discussed ways to leverage the power of technology, improve defence and security ties as well as issues relating to trade, Iran and 5G.
Modi, who is in Osaka, Japan for the G20 Summit, thanked Trump for expressing his "love towards India" in a letter delivered by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week.
The Prime Minister said that India stands committed to further deepen economic and cultural relations with the US. The two leaders discussed Iran, 5G, bilateral relations and defence ties on the sidelines of the summit.
"The talks with @POTUS were wide ranging. We discussed ways to leverage the power of technology, improve defence and security ties as well as issues relating to trade.
"India stands committed to further deepen economic and cultural relations with USA," Modi said on Twitter.
The US reimposed sanctions on Iran in November after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and six world powers. To reduce Iran's crude oil export to zero, the US ended on May 2 waivers that had allowed the top buyers of Iranian oil, including India, to continue their imports for six months.
India, complying with the US sanctions, has ended all imports of oil from Iran. Trump congratulated Modi on his election victory and said that the two countries would work together in many areas including military.
"It was a big victory, you deserve it, you have done a great job. We have big things to announce. In terms of trade, in terms of manufacturing, we would be discussing 5G. I congratulate you and I look forward to talks," Trump said.
"We have become great friends and our countries have never been closer. I can say that with surety. We will work together in many ways including military, we'll be discussing trade today," he said.
On Iran, Trump said: "We have a lot of time. There's no rush, they can take their time. There is absolutely no time pressure".
"PM @narendramodi and @POTUS held talks on the sidelines of the #G20 Summit in Osaka. Both leaders discussed various bilateral and global issues," the Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet.
The two leaders met shortly after the Japan-America-India trilateral meeting during which Modi highlighted "the importance India attaches to" the grouping.
The Modi-Trump meeting assumes significance as the US president, championing his 'America First' policy, has been a vocal critic of India for levying "tremendously high" duties on US products.
Before his arrival in Japan on Thursday, Trump tweeted, "I look forward to speaking with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi about the fact that India, for years having put very high Tariffs against the United States, just recently increased the Tariffs even further. This is unacceptable and the Tariffs must be withdrawn!"
This was Modi's first meeting with Trump after the BJP's landslide win in the parliamentary election.
India has raised tariffs on 28 items, including almond, pulses and walnut, exported from the US in retaliation to America's withdrawal of preferential access for Indian products.
The Trump administration wants Prime Minister Modi to lower the trade barriers and embrace "fair and reciprocal" trade.
Trump has also criticised India's high import tariff on the iconic Harley Davidson motorcycles as "unacceptable" though acknowledging that his "good friend" Prime Minister Modi has reduced it from 100 per cent to 50 per cent.
Last February, India slashed the customs duty on imported motorcycles like Harley-Davidson to 50 per cent after Trump called it "unfair" and threatened to increase the tariff on import of Indian bikes to the US.
The government on June 21 last year decided to impose these duties in retaliation to the US decision of significantly hiking customs duties on certain steel and aluminium products.
America, in March last year, imposed 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent import duty on aluminium products.
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German Chancellor's visit to Bengaluru was private, pre-scheduled; BJP 'politicising' it: Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Wednesday defended Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, saying they did not receive German Chancellor Friedrich Merz during his visit here as it was a private, pre-scheduled programme.
Patil accused the opposition BJP of "politicising" the visit of an international dignitary and termed it "irresponsible."
Merz visited Bengaluru on Tuesday, the second day of his two-day visit to India. He was received at the Kempegowda International Airport by Patil and senior state officials.
The opposition BJP, taking a dig at Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, alleged that they skipped receiving the German chancellor and instead chose to be in Mysuru to receive Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was transiting to neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
“The Hon’ble German Federal Chancellor’s visit was entirely a private, pre-scheduled programme, limited to visits to Bosch and IISc, with no official talks with the state government,” Patil said in a post on 'X'.
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“In such a situation, the question of the CM or ministers formally receiving him does not arise. Had there been any government-level engagements, the Hon’ble chief minister himself would have led the reception,” he said.
Patil said that, as instructed by Siddaramaiah and in keeping with protocol, a formal welcome and see-off were extended.
“The BJP’s attempt to politicise even a private visit of an international dignitary is petty and irresponsible,” he claimed.
Accusing the Congress government of “misplaced priorities and missed opportunities”, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly R Ashoka earlier said that welcoming the head of government from one of the world’s strongest economies had been relegated to the back seat, while “political loyalty and high command pleasing” were given precedence over Karnataka’s global standing.
During his visit, Merz toured the India headquarters of German technology major Bosch at Adugodi and the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the Indian Institute of Science, before departing from Bengaluru.
Home Minister G Parameshwara said the state government was not invited to any of the events attended by the German chancellor and added that it appeared he had arrived and departed without official state-level engagement.
“Patil went as minister-in-waiting, but the state government was not invited to any of the events he attended. He held a press conference, and the German delegation brought its own press. Even the local press was not invited,” Parameshwara said.
“In a way, he came and left without the state’s involvement. Such situations should not arise. We also want to show our respect to foreign dignitaries who visit our state,” he added.
Parameshwara said the state government would have acted in accordance with directions from the Ministry of External Affairs and added that when a foreign head of government visits a state, the state government should be given an opportunity to extend its respects.
Referring to India’s federal structure, he said that while practices may differ elsewhere, both the Centre and states have defined roles in India, and the state government should be involved when a foreign head of government visits.
When asked whether the Centre had officially informed the state government about the visit, Parameshwara said he was not aware and that there was a need to ascertain what directions were issued.
