Tuesday (September 17): “The ‘trajectory’ of the relationship between India and the US has been “upwards” amid various administrations in Washington, be it Bush, Obama and now Trump,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said today addressing the 100-day press conference of the Ministry of External Affairs.
“There is no facet of the relationship today which has not gone upward over the period of 20 years,” he said.
On trade and commerce front, Mr. Jaishankar said the trade problem between the two countries is “normal”. “As relationship grows, there will be problems … the only way you don’t have trade problems is when you do not trade,” he said.
Prime Minister will be on a six-day visit to the US, beginning September 22. In respect of Modi’s visit to US and Jaishankar said, Modi addressed events in San Jose in 2015 and Madison Square in New York in 2014, and the September 22 event at Houston will be the third.
With reference to the decision of US President Donald Trump to attend the ‘Howdy Modi’ event, he said, “I regard this as a great achievement of the Indo-US community. If you have someone like the President (of the US) coming there, this shows where the community has reached, how it is regarded in the US … it is a matter of great honour and we will welcome him (Trump) in the warmest possible manner.”
On how the message of Trump’s presence at the Modi event will send to Pakistan, he said it is up to Islamabad to read.
About PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) he said that the part of Kashmir controlled by Pakistan belongs to India and that he expected India to gain physical control over it one day, raising the rhetoric over the territorial dispute.
“Howdy Modi!”: President Trump to join PM Modi at Houston event
