Obama And PM Modi's Alliance: 'Countless Phone Calls' And 7 Meetings

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with President Barack Obama in Washington "reflects the significance that the two leaders place on our natural alliance," the US state department has told NDTV ahead of the PM's two-day visit to the US that begins late tonight India time.
 
The visit, the state department said, will include a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office and a lunch at the White House.
 
"Since 2014, there have been six meetings and countless phone calls between President Obama and Prime Minister Modi, and this visit reflects the significance that the two leaders place on our natural alliance," the US said, listing on the agenda for their talks, "advancing our ambitious climate change and clean energy agenda, further enhancing our security and diplomatic cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region, as well as supporting sustainable economic growth and prosperity in both of our countries."
 
President Obama has invited PM Modi for one of the last big visits by a world leader before his term ends in January. The PM will address both houses of Congress, considered a rare honour.
 
President Obama and PM Modi are expected to discuss India's application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a 48-member club of nuclear trading nations.
 
The Barack Obama administration has strongly backed India's membership to the NSG and three other groupings -- the Australia Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Missile Technology Control Regime or the MTCR.
 
Reports say an on India entering the MTCR may happen during Prime Minister Modi's visit to the US. It will help India export hi-tech missiles to other countries and buy predator drones from America.
 
The two countries are also finalising agreements that would make it possible for their militaries to cooperate more closely, and for US defence manufacturers to both sell and make high-tech weaponry in India.
 
The visit also gives PM Modi a chance to network with US lawmakers who may feature in a Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton administration but, as it coincides with the California primary, he is not expected to meet either.