Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Paris to attend the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Summit, met with US Vice President JD Vance during a dinner at the Elysee Palace hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. During the meeting held on the sidelines of the state dinner, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Mr Vance on his electoral victory.
It was Indian Premier's first interaction with the top leadership of the Trump administration ahead of his upcoming visit to Washington. French President Macron shared a video of the warm interaction between the two leaders, where PM Modi can be seen shaking the US Vice President's hand and saying, "Congratulations. Great, great victory."
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) also shared the photos of the interaction, stating, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with French President Emmanuel Macron and US Vice President JD Vance."
Following his engagements in France, PM Modi is set to proceed to the United States at the invitation of President Donald Trump.
PM Modi's US Visit
The aim of Prime Minister Modi's US visit is to further strengthen India's global partnerships, with a particular focus on technology, defence, and economic cooperation.
India has enjoyed a comfortable relationship with the United States during President Donald Trump's first term in the White House. The Republican leader shared some remarkable similarities in his style and slogans with PM Modi, especially when it comes to their rhetoric of making their nations great again, contributing to their strong personal relations.
Both leaders addressed thousands of people at two different rallies in Houston in September 2019 and in Ahmedabad in February 2020. PM Modi was also among the top three world leaders to speak with Mr Trump after his stunning electoral victory in November 2024.
Ahead of his departure, PM Modi had recalled his previous collaboration with Mr Trump during the Republican leader's first presidential term and expressed eagerness to meet him again. "Although this will be our first meeting following his historic electoral victory and inauguration in January, I have a very warm recollection of working together in his first term in building a Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between India and the US," he said in a statement.
He emphasised that the visit would provide an opportunity to build on past successes and develop a forward-looking agenda in key sectors such as trade, defence, energy, and supply chain resilience. "This visit will be an opportunity to build upon the successes of our collaboration in his first term and develop an agenda to further elevate and deepen our partnership," he added.
During PM Modi's Washington tour, the two leaders are expected to discuss a range of strategic issues, including trade policies, defence cooperation, and global security challenges. The visit gains significance against the backdrop of recent policy shifts in the US, including deportation measures affecting Indian nationals and discussions on reciprocal tariffs.
Last month, the two leaders held a phone call in which Trump underscored the need for India to increase its defence purchases from the US while also pushing for a balanced trade relationship. They also touched upon the QUAD alliance and the ongoing geopolitical conflicts.
