Modi sends message to Trump via minister – media

Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, representing the prime minister, presented a letter to the US president, inviting him to India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a letter to US President Donald Trump, inviting him to visit India later this year. The correspondence was presented by Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, who attended the inauguration ceremony in Washington, DC.

The letter invited Trump to attend a meeting of the Quad grouping, which is scheduled to take place in Delhi, according to the Hindustan Times.

The Quad grouping comprises the US, India, Australia and Japan. The newspaper noted that Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee for secretary of state, was instrumental in organizing a meeting of Quad foreign ministers on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony.

Prior to the ceremony, Jaishankar held separate discussions with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong and Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya, which focused on bilateral issues and topics related to Quad. 

Jaishankar was acting as Narendra Modi’s special envoy, representing India at the inauguration ceremony, in accordance with tradition in New Delhi, sources told the outlet. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh similarly attended the swearing-in ceremony of the Nigerian president in May 2023, while Minister of Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju participated in the swearing-in ceremony of the president of the Maldives in November 2023. Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari also traveled to Iran for the inauguration of its president in July 2024.

“Privileged to represent [India] as External Affairs Minister and Special Envoy of PM at the Swearing-In Ceremony of the 47th President of the United States of America today in Washington DC,” Jaishankar wrote in a post on X.  

Modi also took to X to congratulate Trump, whom he referred to as a “dear friend.”

“I look forward to working closely together once again, to benefit both our countries, and to shape a better future for the world. Best wishes for a successful term ahead!” the PM wrote. 

Mukesh Ambani, the head of India’s biggest conglomerate Reliance Industries, and his wife Nita Ambani met Trump during a private reception in Washington, DC ahead of the swearing-in ceremony. The “candlelight dinner” was hosted by Trump, and included Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife Usha Vance, who has become the first Indian-origin second lady of the US. According to an official involved in planning the event, who was quoted by ANI news agency, the Ambanis also reportedly attended Trump’s inauguration ceremony.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has told his advisers that he wants to travel to China early in his tenure, and is also contemplating a visit to India. All eyes will be on who Trump appoints as his envoy to India, particularly since Eric Garcetti, a political appointee from the Biden administration, stepped down on Tuesday.


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