Trump-Modi had ‘productive discussion’ on range of issues during meeting in Osaka: Ivanka

PTI, Jun 30, 2019, 2:55 PM IST

Osaka: Donald Trump had a “productive discussion” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on topics like Iran, 5G and national security during their meeting here, the US President’s daughter and top adviser Ivanka Trump has said as she described India as a “critical” trading partner, security partner and ally of America.

Modi and Trump met in the Japanese port city of Osaka on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, the first since the Indian prime minister led his Bharatiya Janata Party to a landslide win in the general elections.

In a video of Ivanka tweeted by the White House on Saturday, the final day of the G20 Summit, she gave a brief summary of Trump’s separate bilateral meetings between her father and Prime Minister Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Ivanka, who has made women’s economic issues her main focus, said the US President especially talked about the 5G telecommunications technology and its security implications with other global leaders in his bilateral meetings on the margins of the G20 Summit.

“We are here at the G20 in Osaka and Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Abe just concluded a meeting with the President talking about 5G technology, particularly with focus on its security implication,” Ivanka said about the meeting between the top leaders of Japan-America-India here.

“A one-on-one meeting between the President and Prime Minister Modi where the same issues were covered, of course 5G, as well as trade relationship between the United States and India, a critical trading partner, a critical security partner and a critical ally,” she said while commenting on the Trump-Modi meeting.

“So it was a productive discussion, everything from Iran to national security was covered by the President and the US delegation with their Indian counterparts,” the 37-year-old businesswoman-turned politician said, adding that it has been a productive Friday morning for the US President.

Modi himself tweeted that the topics discussed during his talks with President Trump were wide-ranging.

“We discussed ways to leverage the power of technology, improve defence and security ties as well as issues relating to trade,” the prime minister said on Twitter.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told reporters that Prime Minister Modi and President Trump had a “very open and productive” meeting.

“This was a very open and productive meeting. The two leaders had a very warm discussion,” he said.

President Trump congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his victory and the two leaders discussed issues related to Iran, to 5G, to trade and to defence relations.

On the issue of Iran, Modi outlined India’s energy concerns as well its concerns regarding peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region.

Both sides agreed that they would remain in touch on the issue of Iran and will continue to have mutual discussion on how to ensure regional peace and stability.

The discussion came at a time of heightened tensions between Iran and the US, which has accused Tehran of being behind a series of operations against oil tankers in highly sensitive Gulf waters. The US has also deployed its warships and additional soldiers to the region.

On 5G, the prime minister highlighted the technical and business opportunities that this new area provides for cooperation between India and the United States.

The Prime Minister outlined that India would have a billion users of the 5G technology and in that sense India is the second largest market in the world.

“The way India moves or the way whatever choices India makes will essentially determine the way the global trend will go,” Gokhale said.

He said Prime Minister Modi underlined the importance of Indo-US collaboration in the further development of 5G technology for mutual benefit.

The two leaders discussed the issue of 5G at a time when Chinese telecom giant Huawei has urged India to make an “informed and independent decision” on permitting its 5G trials in the country.

The Trump administration is putting pressure on other countries to restrict the operations of Huawei and banned American companies buying its products over security concerns.

Gokhale said President Trump welcomed this idea and he spoke about the work that American companies are now doing in 5G.

He specifically referred to the Silicon Valley and said that since he had taken over as the President of United States he has focused on this area, on developing America’s capabilities in technology, that he looked forward to working with India.