US Prez Trump plans first India visit in Feb: Officials

By Archana Chaudhary

US President Donald Trump is planning his maiden India visit in February, an official said, in a trip that may coincide with an impeachment trial that is likely to get underway in Washington next week.

The two countries are in touch to work out mutually convenient dates for the visit, according to a senior Indian government official, who asked not to be identified citing rules.

Trump and Modi are expected to sign an agreement on civil aviation apart from the long-pending bilateral trade deal, The Hindu newspaper reported citing sources it didn’t identify.

The visit will come as India faces the slowest economic growth since 2009 and rising social unrest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which has been pushing its Hindu nationalist agenda through new laws that are widely seen as discriminating toward Muslims.

It follows Modi’s trip to the US in September where he walked hand-in-hand with Trump at a rock-concert like event in Houston in a move analysts expected would help to ease trade tensions between the two countries.

Trump last year turned down an invitation to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi, according to reports.