Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has welcomed US President Donald Trump on his first official visit to the South Asian subcontinent.
Thousands of people lined the streets to greet both leaders. In a lively event at the world’s biggest cricket stadium, Trump and Modi addressed a full house of cheering attendees. The trip comes amid simmering trade tensions. The US is India’s second-largest trade partner, after China. In 2019, the US goods trade deficit was more than $23 billion. Washington wants India to buy more American agricultural products before it agrees to a wider pact. The two countries have been strengthening defense ties. India is now a Major Defense Partner of the US. Last year, the two sides signed a deal to ease the transfer of advanced weaponry and share encrypted military communications. Trump said he and Modi will sign around $3 billion worth of defense deals during the visit.
DW
