Amidst massive bonhomie displayed by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi during the Namaste Trump event at Motera Stadium on Monday, a major $3-billion defence deal would be signed on Tuesday, said the former.
While Trump and Modi heaped praises on each other in an election year for America, the former looked forward to closer ties with India, especially in defence and space exploration, Trump told an over-100,000 gathering.
Calling Modi a “tough negotiator”, Trump said the two would be discussing ways to expand economic ties, apart from “major trade deals”.
“We are in the early stages of discussion for a trade agreement to reduce barriers of investment between the US and India. I am optimistic that working together, the PM and I can reach a fantastic deal that is good and even great for our countries. Except that he is a very tough negotiator,” Trump said, adding the two nations conducted the first-ever air, land, and sea military exercises called ‘Tiger Triumph’.
On the other hand, welcoming his “dear friend” Trump, Modi termed Indo-US relations as “natural” and said they will continue to grow in the digital and Industry 4.0 age.
Even as it continues to build its military equipment manufacturing muscle, the US is looking at India to forge stronger ties in supplies from airplanes, missiles, and rockets to ships as well as armed and unarmed aerial vehicles.
“As we continue to build our defence cooperation, the US looks forward to providing India with some of the best and most feared military equipment on the planet... And I am pleased to announce on Tuesday our representatives will sign a deal to sell over $3 billion in the absolute finest state-of-the-art helicopters and other equipment to the Indian armed forces. I believe the US should be India’s premier defence partner and that is the way it is working out,” said Trump.
Lauding India for its Chandrayaan II project, Trump said the US was looking forward to “expanding space cooperation with India”.
Islamic terrorism, Pakistan, Bollywood, and cricket also found mention in the nearly half-an-hour speech as Trump looked at hitting the right notes with the massive local crowd. However, contrary to speculation, the proposal for an American Consulate in Gujarat, among others, did not find mention in Trump’s speech.
Trump also lauded Modi over steps taken towards village electrification, internet connectivity, access to cooking fuel, and basic sanitation. “Incredibly, 12 Indian citizens are lifted out of extreme poverty every single minute of every single day.”
However, with much of the crowd gathered at the Gujarat Cricket Association-run Motera stadium being rural, the US President’s English speech could not hold their attention for long.
“Firstly, the speech was in a language we didn’t understand. Secondly, we have been here since early morning and it was getting hot towards the afternoon,” said Megabhai Bharwad, a farmer from Sabarkantha, who had come with his fellow villagers in a bus arranged by the local administration.
Landing first at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport as part of his two-day India trip, Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania and Modi, visited Sabarmati Ashram and later to the world’s largest cricket stadium at Motera, amidst a roadshow of over 100,000 people cheering from the sidelines.
Organised by Donald Trump Abhivadan Samiti comprising prominent citizens and politicians, the Namaste Trump event at Motera Stadium was to be on the lines of Howdy, Modi! held in Houston last year. However, the largely rural Gujarati crowd that had gathered since early morning in a groundswell of support started thinning out when Trump began his address.
Moreover, unlike Howdy, Modi!, the Namaste Trump did not see the two nation heads walk hand-in-hand along the newly rebuilt cricket ground with the otherwise planned two hour-odd event getting over in roughly an hour at Motera Stadium.
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