US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti on January 9 said that while he does not know about the guests to whom invitations will be extended for the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Donald Trump, he however expects a meeting to take place between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump first in Washington and then later in India when the country hosts the QUAD Summit.
When asked about the speculations going on which suggest that Prime Minister Modi may be invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Donald Trump, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti said, “I can’t speak to that. I don’t know anything about the invitations.”
Highlighting the camaraderie between the two leaders, Ambassador Garcetti said, “I do know that Prime Minister Modi and President-elect Trump, are incredibly close. I look forward to when they will meet together directly”.
Hinting at the possibility of meetings to take place between the them, Ambassador Garcetti observed, “I would expect that to be in Washington first and then later in the second half of the year most likely when India hosts the QUAD, I would expect President Trump to come here. So it’s not about invitations to a crowded swearing in. It’s about the one one-on-one conversations that we’ll have that will define the next chapter of our relationship.”
Ambassador Eric Garcetti spoke about several other themes and while talking about his tenure in India, India-US relationship, he said, “This has been the most extraordinary job of my life. This was to be in the right place, at the time with the right relationship”.
He further added, “If you want to work on the future, come to India. Vice-versa, one of the great things I have seen is India coming to the US, whether it is investment or the way our militaries are coming together. We see this as a relationship with endless possibilities and without any limits. We will be opening a new consulate in Bengaluru next week. We are so excited to see optimism and hope and progress in India. On a personal note, India captured my heart.”
(with inputs from ANI)
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