India will buy $3 billion worth of military equipment, including attack helicopters, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday, in further evidence of deepening ties between the two countries acting as a counterbalance to the rising weight of China in the region.
India and the United States were also making progress on a big trade deal, Reuters reports. Negotiators from the two sides are working to narrow differences on farm goods, medical devices, digital trade and new tariffs.
Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the growing defense and commercial ties between the world’s two largest democracies even as they acknowledged that a trade deal between them remains some way off.
Trump said he was “optimistic” a trade pact could be reached eventually, and claimed ties between the U.S. and India had reached historic strength.
“It has never been as good as it is right now,” Trump said during a statement after his meeting, citing his personal bond with Modi as the underpinning.
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina senator who rose from small-town roots to GOP power broker, dies at 71
CIA’s Counter Espionage Department Investigated Unvaccinated Employees, Lawsuit Alleges
Florida Attorney General Calls to Impeach Judge Who Acquitted Murderous Mother
‘America and the world have lost a determined leader’: Tributes pour in after Sen Lindsey Graham’s death
NYC to move 110 single homeless men to quiet Brooklyn neighborhood, leaving locals worried: report
JonBenet Ramsey mystery reignited by lab scandal that adds pressure to unleash DNA help dad is ‘begging’ for
Platner aide hit with brutal timeline check after campaign denied rape claim, then folded days later
EXCLUSIVE: Former ‘Apprentice’ star picked by Trump to showcase America’s 250th anniversary through art
The RNC wants a massive Trump celebration. Some worry ordinary Republicans can’t afford to attend
BREAKING: GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham Dead at 71
Sen. Lindsey Graham dead at 71 after ‘brief and sudden’ illness, office says
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Alleged K-12 fraud, one school’s battle with Newsom and a win in Florida
‘Die Hard’ actor Robert Davi blasts Mamdani after NYC map omits Little Italy
Dem governor escalates McConnell health demands, cites response to past Trump health concerns
Another US citizen tests positive for Ebola virus while working in Congo amid record outbreak
“We feel very strongly about each other. We have done something that is very unique,” he said.
Trump said his visit had been productive with the conclusion of deals to buy helicopters for the Indian military. India is buying 24 SeaHawk helicopters from Lockheed Martin equipped with Hellfire missiles worth $2.6 billion and also plans a follow-on order for six Apache helicopters.
India is modernising its military to narrow the gap with China and has increasingly turned to the United States over traditional supplier, Russia.
As Breitbart News reported, Trump has been accorded an astonishing welcome since he arrived in India on Monday.
“America loves India, America respects India, and America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people,” Trump said within hours of arriving to a crowd of more than 100,000 people at India’s Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The president delivered a speech flattering India’s rise to prosperity under Modi as the largest Democracy in the world and a friend to the United States.
“The story of the Indian nation is a tale of astounding progress, a miracle of democracy, extraordinary diversity, and above all, a strong and noble people,” Trump said.
Lindsey Graham, South Carolina senator who rose from small-town roots to GOP power broker, dies at 71
CIA’s Counter Espionage Department Investigated Unvaccinated Employees, Lawsuit Alleges
Florida Attorney General Calls to Impeach Judge Who Acquitted Murderous Mother
‘America and the world have lost a determined leader’: Tributes pour in after Sen Lindsey Graham’s death
NYC to move 110 single homeless men to quiet Brooklyn neighborhood, leaving locals worried: report
JonBenet Ramsey mystery reignited by lab scandal that adds pressure to unleash DNA help dad is ‘begging’ for
Platner aide hit with brutal timeline check after campaign denied rape claim, then folded days later
EXCLUSIVE: Former ‘Apprentice’ star picked by Trump to showcase America’s 250th anniversary through art
The RNC wants a massive Trump celebration. Some worry ordinary Republicans can’t afford to attend
BREAKING: GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham Dead at 71
Sen. Lindsey Graham dead at 71 after ‘brief and sudden’ illness, office says
Fox News Campus Radicals Newsletter: Alleged K-12 fraud, one school’s battle with Newsom and a win in Florida
‘Die Hard’ actor Robert Davi blasts Mamdani after NYC map omits Little Italy
Dem governor escalates McConnell health demands, cites response to past Trump health concerns
Another US citizen tests positive for Ebola virus while working in Congo amid record outbreak
On Tuesday the president elaborated, saying he and first lady Melania Trump “have been awed by the majesty of India” and will ”always remember the magnificent welcome” they received upon their arrival.
On the second day of his whirlwind trip, Trump described his time in India as “amazing in every sense of the word.” And he said progress is being made on future trade, fighter jet purchases and energy.
Story cited here.
