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India’s Prime Minister Coming to Washington—Again

Wikipedia Commons
Wikipedia Commons

The Prime Minister of India is coming to the United States---again. Narendra Modi will be in Washington next week…meeting with President Obama and discussing a variety of issues. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

It’s been just a couple of months since Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was last in the United States.  This will be his fourth trip to the US in the two years he’s been in office.  That’s drawn some criticism at home…where some suggest he spend more time focused on domestic issues.

But the travel has gone both ways in recent years.  In January, President Obama became the first US leader to visit India twice while in office.   Defense Secretary Ash Carter has been to India twice in the last year….underlining growing security ties--from shared naval exercises to weapons procurement.

Over the past decade, the United States has replaced Russia as India’s top defense supplier.  The website the diplomat.com says military sales have gone from $300 million dollars eight years ago to $14 billion dollars today.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs says Modi’s visit next week has a pretty broad agenda.  The Ministry says the main objective of the trip is “to consolidate the progress made in diverse areas such as economy, energy, environment, defense and security” as well as “to intensify cooperation for the future.”  And it’s not just the executive branch that will be getting attention on this visit.  Modi has a number of meetings scheduled on Capitol Hill….and next Wednesday; he’ll address a joint session of Congress.

Bill Dorman has been the news director at Hawaiʻi Public Radio since 2011.
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