MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (ANI image)
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday clarified it has ‘nothing’ to share on US President Donald Trump’s visit to India despite his recent remarks suggesting that the trip could take place next year.The Quad comprises the United States, Australia, Japan, and India. New Delhi was scheduled to host the Quad summit in 2025. Addressing the weekly media briefing, when asked if the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) will take place without Trump or be rescheduled for next year during the US President’s visit, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal underscored that the grouping remains a “valuable platform” for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.”As far as the comments of President Trump regarding his visit to India are concerned, I do not have anything on this to share. I will let you know when I have something to share about it,” Jaiswal said.He highlighted the recent Quad engagements, including the Quad Ports of the Future Conference, held during the India Maritime Week in Mumbai on October 29 to 30.”We see Quad as a valuable platform for discussion among the four Quad partners on issues of importance and of interest to them in the Indo-Pacific region. Quad is making steady progress. We recently attended the India Maritime Week in Mumbai. We had the Quad Ports of the Future Conference in Mumbai on 29th and 30th October. We had almost 24 countries participate in it, which included the four quad partners,” he added.Earlier on Thursday, Trump had hinted at a possible visit to India for next year as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen trade relations between the two nations.Speaking to reporters at the White House after announcing a new deal to lower the prices of weight loss drugs, Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling him “a great man” and “a friend”, while hinting at his possible visit.”He (PM Modi) largely stopped buying from Russia. And he is a friend of mine, and we speak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a great man. He is a friend of mine, and we speak, and he wants me to go there. We will figure that out; I will go… Prime Minister Modi is a great man and I will be going,” Trump said.When asked directly if he planned to travel to India next year, Trump replied, “It could be, yes.”This comes months after The New York Times, in its August report, had said that US President no longer intends to visit India for the upcoming Quad Summit, following Washington’s decision to impose heavy tariffs.Citing sources familiar with the President’s schedule, the report, titled “The Nobel Prize and a Testy Phone Call: How the Trump-Modi Relationship Unravelled”, noted that although Trump had earlier assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he would attend the summit in the fall, the plan has now been dropped.
