Trump will visit India on Feb 24-25: White House

He will meet with Indian PM Narendra Modi during the visit

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump will visit India on Feb 24-25, the White House said in a statement on Monday.

The trip will be Trump’s first to the world’s largest democracy since he took office. Trump will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit, a White House spokesperson said.

Late last year, Trump joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a massive gathering of Indian-Americans in Houston, in a symbolic show of the bond between the two leaders and countries.

The September 22 rally – dubbed, with a touch of Texan twang, “Howdy, Modi!” – marked a rare joint appearance between a US president and a foreign leader before an ethnic community, and was the pair’s third meeting last year.

Trump plans first India visit in February: Bloomberg

After the rally, Trump said he did not expect ‘aggressive’ statements from the Indian premier.

“I heard [a] very aggressive statement yesterday and I have to say I mean I was there [and] I didn’t know I was going to hear that statement… from India… from Modi,” said Trump while speaking to the media alongside Prime Minster Imran Khan.

Trump also seemed surprised that Modi’s statement was “very well received” within the room of some “59,000” people.

“But it was a very aggressive statement and I hope they’re [India and Pakistan] going to be able to come together and do something that’s smart and good for both.”