17:46 (IST)
India has worked very hard on giving people religious freedom, US president on CAA-NRC
As US president Donald Trump was in New Delhi, the national capital witnessed bloody riots between anti- and pro-citizenship Amendment Act protesters that has left nine people dead. A reporter asked him if he spoke to Prime Minister Modi about the contentious law, which many see as discriminatory against Muslims. He said, "We did talk about religious freedom, and PM Modi wants people to have religious freedom... India has really worked hard on religious freedom. We talked about it for a long time. I didn't discuss Delhi violence with him, that's up to India. "
17:41 (IST)
Spoke to Modi about Taliban peace deal: Trump on India's role in Afghan peace process
When quizzed about India's role in the Afghanistan peace process, Trump said, "India would like to see it (Afghanistan peace deal) happen. I spoke to PM Modi today and he would like to see it happen. We are close. Everybody is happy about it, even people who are normally against me."
17:37 (IST)
Coronavirus is "a problem that's going to go away": Donald Trump
US President Donald Trump expressed optimism on Tuesday that the novel coronavirus will be a short-term problem, which won't have lasting effects on the global economy.
"I think that’s a problem that’s going to go away," Trump said, adding that he US had "essentially closed the borders." "We’re watching very carefully," Trump said.
17:35 (IST)
'People of India like me very much': Donal Trump
"I believe people of India like us very much. I think they like me more than they did before," Trump said in his press conference.
17:33 (IST)
Trump says talks held on coronavirus, trade, Pakistan
US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a terrific leader of a tremendous country of 1.4 billion people. He said that he had some great meetings here and he looks forward to taking US-India friendship to the next level.
"It was a fantastic two days. We had a great time, we had great meetings. This is a tremendous country," he said, adding that he though people of India liked him very much.
17:29 (IST)
Trump begins briefing media
17:23 (IST)
Trade deal still a pipe dream, but US-India ink defence agreement worth over $3 billion
Despite best efforts from both sides, India and US are yet to finalise a comprehensive trade deal to resolve differences between the two major world economies. However, the two countries further cemented their ties by signing an agreement to purchase more than $3 billion of advanced military equipment, including helicopters.
Talking about defence and strategic ties between the two countries, Donald Trump had on Monday said the US is looking forward to providing India with some of the best and most feared military equipment on the planet.
17:20 (IST)
Trump optimistic of inking trade deal soon
Notwithstanding the warm and grand welcome accorded to the US President and First Lady, India has failed to get America to ink a comprehensive trade deal yet. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he's optimistic about the prospects of inking a trade deal with India soon, despite prolonged efforts by both side to reach an agreement as soon as possible.
Trump emerged from a pair of meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi citing progress toward a deal but offering no details. Trump had made clear before the trip that hammering out a long-sought trade deal with India was unlikely during the two-day trip.
17:14 (IST)
US President to address media in New Delhi shortly
US president Donald Trump, who is on a two-day visit to India, will address the media shortly. His presser was scheduled to start at 5 pm, however, there has been a slight delay in the schedule.
Donald Trump India Visit Latest Updates: President Donald Trump said Tuesday he's optimistic about the prospects of inking a trade deal with India despite moves by both sides that created doubt about the ability to reach an agreement.
Trump emerged from a pair of meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi citing progress toward a deal but offering no details. Trump had made clear before the trip that hammering out a long-sought trade deal with India was unlikely during the two-day trip.
"Our teams have made tremendous progress on a comprehensive trade agreement and I'm optimistic we can reach a deal that will be of great importance to both countries," Trump told reporters on the second and final day of his whirlwind, 36-hour, first official visit to India.
The day began with an elaborate welcome ceremony in front of the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan Presidential Palace in New Delhi, continuing the pomp and pageantry the Indian government had lavished on Trump a day earlier.
Cannons fired as the president's armored car, nicknamed "The Beast," rolled through the palace gates accompanied by a parade of red-uniformed guards on horseback. The ceremony included hundreds of military officials, marching with instruments and swords, as well as an official greeting by India's president and Modi.
But tensions had mounted a day earlier in New Delhi as at least seven people, including a police officer, were killed and dozens were injured in clashes between hundreds of supporters and opponents of a new citizenship law in India that provides fast-track naturalization for some foreign-born religious minorities but not Muslims, police said Tuesday.
Following talks with Modi, Trump announced that India had signed a deal to buy more than $3 billion of advanced military equipment, including helicopters, as he continued to shower praise on Modi for the opulent and colorful welcome spread across three cities.
"The last two days were amazing in every sense of the word," Trump said as he and Modi briefly addressed reporters after the first of their two meetings. Trump described the trip as "unforgettable," "extraordinary" and an expression of "love."
He also told Modi that people who attended a mega-rally held in his honor at the world's largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad — part of an elaborate welcome for a president who revels in pomp and pageantry — were really there for the Indian leader.
"They love you in India and that's a good thing," Trump said.
Modi said he was thankful Trump visited despite the presidential campaign underway in the United States. Trump has said the short India visit was partly due to presidential politics.
"I know that it’s busy time for you in the United States," Modi told Trump. "But despite that, you accepted an invitation to visit India. I welcome you and your delegation."
Modi said talks to ease trade tensions between their countries would continue. Those tensions escalated after Trump imposed tariffs on Indian steel and aluminium exports. India responded with higher penalties on US agricultural goods and restrictions on medical devices, prompting the US to strip India of its decades-old trade preferences.
At a meeting with Indian business leaders, the Republican president abandoned the tradition avoiding domestic political squabbles while traveling abroad and criticized the Democratic candidates who are competing for the right to challenge his reelection bid in November.
Trump also addressed the coronavirus outbreak, which has begun to spook the US stock market. Trump said the administration has asked Congress for an additional $2.5 billion to help get the US ready "just in case something should happen" and to assist countries he says are ill-equipped to deal with the virus' spread on their own.
Trump planned a solo news conference and was attending an opulent state dinner before he boards Air Force One later Tuesday for the return flight to Washington.
Eyes also will be on whether Trump will criticize Modi over the new citizenship law, which has raised fears that the country is moving toward a religious citizenship test. Trump typically refrains from publicly rebuking world leaders for human rights abuses during his overseas trips. He spoke at length on Monday about measures his administration had taken to combat the threat of "radical Islamic terrorism."
Trump has talked about "working productively with Pakistan" — India’s arch nemesis — to reduce homegrown terrorism in Pakistan, a comment that was sure to irk many Indians.
During Monday's protests, police fired tear gas and used canes as they charged at the protesters in several districts of New Delhi. The rival groups hurled rocks at each other and set some houses, shops, vehicles and a gasoline pump on fire. Police closed access to two metro stations in the area.
Trump, however, was far away from the violence. And everywhere he went, he encountered streets lined with cheering Indian citizens, troops of traditional dancers and roadways lined with posters and billboards celebrating his visit. Trump and first lady Melania Trump also went on a stunning sunset tour of the famed Taj Mahal.
On Tuesday, the couple participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Raj Ghat, a memorial to Mohandas Gandhi in New Delhi at the site where the famed Indian independence leader was cremated after his assassination in January 1948.
Trump had visited Gandhi's home on Monday.
from Firstpost India Latest News https://ift.tt/2TcwFEd
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