Will meet Narendra Modi and Imran Khan soon: Donald Trump
On Monday, United States President Donald Trump said that he will soon meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan. Speaking to reporters at White House, Trump maintained that tensions between the hostile South Asian neighbors have reduced. To note, tensions peaked between India and Pakistan after New Delhi rescinded Article 370 and withdrew Jammu and Kashmir's special status.
Interestingly, Trump's statement comes just hours after Washington confirmed that the American President will attend the "Howdy Modi!" event in Houston on September 22. PM Modi will address nearly 50,000 people at the event and talk about the contributions of Indian-Americans in enriching American life. Thereafter, on September 27, he will address a United Nations General Assembly Session, his third address since 2014.
To note, no other foreign leader, barring Pope Francis, has addressed such a massive crowd on American soil in recent years, making PM Modi's event extraordinary. In fact, this will also be the first time when leaders of the two largest democracies will share the stage. By agreeing to attend the event, Trump has shown he has high regard for the Indian Prime Minister.
The special gesture of President @realDonaldTrump to join us in Houston highlights the strength of the relationship and recognition of the contribution of the Indian community to American society and economy. #HowdyModi
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 16, 2019
"I'll see Prime Minister Modi and I will - we'll - be meeting with (prime ministers of) India and Pakistan," Trump said. According to Trump's schedule, he is most likely to meet Khan on the sidelines of the UNGA Session in New York.
In the last couple of weeks, Trump has been talking about India and Pakistan quite frequently. He stirred a controversy when he claimed PM Modi "sought mediation" to solve the Kashmir dispute. While Trump said he was more than happy to intervene, New Delhi reiterated that all issues with Pakistan will be solved bilaterally. Islamabad, however, wants a third party to step in.
After India changed the status of J&K, Pakistan has been trying hard to internationalize the matter. In his speeches and interviews, Khan has claimed if the global community doesn't do something about Kashmir, there will be repercussions. But the anti-India rhetoric hasn't been helping Pakistan as it has been snubbed on mostly all quarters. Several countries have accepted Kashmir as India's "internal matter".
