advertisement
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised the Modi government's Goods and Services Tax (GST) initiative, saying the largest tax overhaul in India's history will create “great new opportunities” for the Indian people.
“In just two weeks, you will begin to implement the largest tax overhaul in your country's history – we're doing that also, by the way – creating great new opportunities for your citizens,” Trump said in his joint press statement at the White House here after holding talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Touted as the biggest taxation reform since Independence, GST will unify 16 different taxes including excise, service tax and VAT, and transform India into a single market for seamless movement of goods and services.
India and the US vowed to strengthen cooperation against terror outfits like Jaish-e- Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Taiba and D-Company, while urging Pakistan to ensure that its soil is not used for terror strikes against other nations.
Briefing reporters on the meeting, Foreign Secretary, S Jaishankar said counter-terrorism was a major issue that was discussed between Trump and Modi during the day.
On the reference to Pakistan, he said the joint statement could not have been more explicit on the issue of cross border-terrorism being perpetrated by terror groups from the neighbouring country's soil.
Sending out a strong message to Pakistan, India and the US on Monday urged the country to ensure that its territory is not used to launch cross-border terror strikes and to “expeditiously” bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks.
Prime Minister Modi and US President Trump also vowed to strengthen efforts to fight terrorism and eliminate safe havens for terrorists.
Trump said both nations are “determined” to destroy terrorist organisations and the radical ideology that drives them.
President Donald Trump has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi invitation to visit India.
Modi, standing along side Trump at the White House’s Rose Garden, on Monday had extended a warm invitation to him and his family.
Modi also specially invited Trump’s daughter Ivanka to lead the US delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India later this year.
“…And I believe she has accepted,” Trump said.
Ivanka later tweeted thanking the Prime Minsiter.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a guided tour of the President’s residence quarters including the Lincoln bedroom, tweeted PMO.
PM Modi was also shown a copy of President Lincoln's famous Gettysburg address and the desk on which he wrote it by Trump.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented US President Donald Trump a folio containing an original commemorative postal stamp of Abraham Lincoln that had been issued by India in 1965.
He also presented Trump a wooden chest with intricate inlay pattern that is a specialty of Hoshiarpur in Punjab.
The First Lady Melania Trump was presented with a hamper containing a traditional, handcrafted Himachali silver bracelet, tea and honey from Kangra valley. She was also gifted with hand-woven shawls from Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.
US President Donald Trump hosted a gala dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is the first dinner for a foreign dignitary at the White House under the Trump administration
Issuing a joint statements along with US President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the top-most priority for both the countries was to eliminate terrorism. He also thanked Trump for his “kind words” about India.
The Prime Minister asserted that key areas trade, commerce and investment were touched upon and informed that both the countries have agreed to work on boosting maritime trade.
Issuing a joint statement, US president Donald Trump said it was a great honour to welcome “the leader of the world’s largest democracy”.
He added that India and the United States will always be tied together in friendship and respect. Trump stressed on how both the countries were affected by terrorism and hopes to destroy “radical Islamic” terrorism.
Trump also said that both Modi and him are world “leaders in social meida” who “understand the importance” of interacting directly with the people of the country.
While Trump said he was looking forward to exporting more US energy to India, he added that he was pleased to hear about Indian airline's recent order of 100 new American planes, which are likely to support thousands of American jobs.
US President Donald Trump reportedly told Indian Prime Minister that they agree on most things and that they’ll “agree on everything”, by the end of the day.
The delegation level talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump began in the cabinet room in the white house. During the meeting, he thanked India for ordering military equipment from US.
US President Donald Trump congratulated PM Narendra Modi for doing a “great job economically”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for the warm welcome.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by the US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on arriving at the White House. Both the leaders are scheduled to hold a meeting, which is expected to last 20 minutes.
Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set the ground for meeting between US President Donald Trump and the Indian PM.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis in Washington DC on Monday.
Discussions between Modi and Mattis focussed on the Asia Pacific region, with a veiled reference to the South China Sea over which China is laying an absolute claim.
US President Donald Trump said that “strategic issues” would be on the table when he holds talks with his “true friend” Narendra Modi.
Addressing the Indian diaspora in Washington DC, Narendra Modi praised External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for setting an example of “good governance”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that there was “no stain of corruption” on his government, adding that the previous governments were defeated because of corruption. He further said that technology was being used by his government to improve transparency and fight corruption.
He said that India is being transformed into “aadhunik Bharat”.
Elaborating on the surgical strikes, Narendra Modi said no country questioned India’s move against terrorist launchpads in Pakistan, and that India practices restrain, but shows power when needed. He added:
Narendra Modi, addressing the Indian diaspora in the US at Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington DC, said that he saw immense energy in the Indian community based in America.
He added that in the programme itself, he saw both a mini-India and a mini-US.
Praising the Indian diaspora in US, the Prime Minister said they want India to scale newer heights and rejoice every time there is a good news from the country. He “assured” the audience that he is working towards achieving the India of “everyone’s dreams”.
Following his meeting with PM Modi, along with other US CEOs, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that everyone was excited to invest more in India.
Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson described the meeting with Modi as “productive”, and appreciated the opportunity to improve bilateral relations between the two countries.
Narendra Modi arrived in the US from Portugal on the second leg of his three-nation tour.
Modi will be meeting President Donald Trump for the first time on 26 June in Washington and the latter will host him for a working dinner at the White House on Monday, the first of its kind under the administration.
Modi arrives in the US Capitol on Saturday on a three-day visit during which he would have a meeting with Trump at the White House.
Modi, in a Facebook post, called India’s partnership with the US “multi-layered and diverse” which is supported by both the governments as well as the stakeholders on both sides.
Modi will visit Portugal on Saturday and hold talks with Antonio Costa, the Portuguese PM of Indian origin on Saturday, before heading to the US.
On his way back, Modi is expected to be on a whirlwind tour to the Netherlands on 27 June. There he will hold talks with Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the Hague, besides calling on King Willem Alexander.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS and ANI.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)