Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to the United States in December to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Florida, India Today reported on Wednesday.
The summit is scheduled for 14 and 15 December at the Trump National Doral Miami resort, where US President Donald will host leaders of the world’s major economies.
The Indian government has not yet made a formal announcement on Modi’s possible visit.
If Modi travels to Florida, he is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the , as per the report.
Earlier this year, US Ambassador to India had indicated that Modi would be among the leaders Trump would want to meet at the G20.
The possible meeting comes at a sensitive time for India-US relations, particularly over trade and India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil.
The US has been considering additional measures against countries buying .
A recent Reuters report said a US sanctions bill proposes tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue to make significant purchases of Russian oil, with India among those affected.
Trade is expected to be one of the important issues in India-US discussions. The two countries have been negotiating a broader trade agreement while also cooperating in areas such as defence, technology, energy and critical minerals.
The December meeting could therefore provide an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss the state of bilateral trade and broader strategic ties, according to media reports.
The gathering could also provide an opportunity for a meeting of leaders — India, the US, Japan and Australia.
Modi’s possible visit to the US could be followed by a trip to Canada around the time of the G20 Summit, Canadian Prime Minister Mark said on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Carney said India and Canada are making “good progress” in trade negotiations and are looking to conclude a deal by the end of the year, news agencies reported.
Notably, the two countries are negotiating a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, with the next round of talks scheduled to begin soon.
