Former US President Donald Trump announced that he will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Modi's visit to the United States next week.
According to Reuters, Trump referred to Modi as a "fantastic" leader, stating, "He happens to be coming to meet me next week.
"So when India, which is a very big abuser, he happens to be coming to meet me next week. And Modi he is fantastic. I mean, fantastic man. These are a lot of these leaders are fantastic. You have to understand one thing. They're dealing, there are 100 per cent," Trump was cited as saying by the Reuters.
Trump elaborated on his admiration for global leaders, saying, "These people are the sharpest people. They're not a little bit backward. They are at the top. You know the expression? They're at the top of their game and they use it against us. But India's very tough," Trump said.
PM Modi is scheduled to visit the United States from September 21 to 23. He will participate in the fourth Quad Leaders' Summit on September 21 in Delaware, hosted by US President Joe Biden. The summit will include leaders from India, Australia, and Japan.
Additionally, PM Modi will address the 'Summit of the Future,' themed 'Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow,' at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23. He is also set to engage with the Indian community in New York on September 22 and interact with CEOs from leading US-based companies to enhance collaboration in areas such as AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology.
The upcoming meeting will mark the first encounter between Modi and Trump since their last meeting in February 2020, when Trump visited India and was greeted with a 'Namaste Trump' event in Ahmedabad, coinciding with the opening of the world’s largest cricket stadium.
Modi had previously participated in the "Howdy, Modi!" rally in Texas during his visit to the US in 2019.