Washington, Feb 13: The US will seek to prioritise and boost defence and energy sales to India, senior White House officials said Thursday previewing a meeting later in the day between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The officials also said the two leaders will build on the accomplishments of the American leader’s first term and focus their conversation when they meet later in the day, focusing on key areas of defence, trade, energy, infrastructure and regional partnerships.
The two leaders are expected to put back on track talks regarding a trade deal, picking up perhaps from where they left off in Trump’s first term. The attempt will be to put together a deal in 2025, senior Trump administration officials said previewing the meeting.
The two leaders will meet in person for the first time after President Trump’s return to the White House for a non-consecutive second term; his first lasted from 2017 to 2021. They have spoken on the phone two times, once in November and then again in January.
“We will aim to build on defence sales to India to ensure they are prioritising the use of American technology,” one of the officials said. “The President is also focused on unleashing American energy to the rest of the world, and will prioritise India as a key importer of America’s natural resources to power their economy.” The leaders will also discuss how to improve the trade relationship that, one of the officials said, “brings down our bilateral trade deficit and ensures an expanded fair trade relationship”. “There’s been some early body language from the Government of India that’s been well received by the Trump administration (but) they are early but modest steps,” one of the officials said referring to duty cuts announced recently in the annual budget proposals. (IANS)
Modi calls Gabbard ‘strong votary’ of India-US friendship
Washington, Feb 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Tulsi Gabbard, US Director of National Intelligence, and discussed various aspects of ties between the two countries with focused on enhancing intelligence cooperation in counter-terrorism and emerging threats. Modi also congratulated Hindu-American Gabbard on her confirmation as the nation’s top intelligence official. She was confirmed on Wednesday. “Met USA’s Director of National Intelligence, @TulsiGabbard in Washington DC. Congratulated her on her confirmation. Discussed various aspects of the India-USA friendship, of which she’s always been a strong votary,” Modi posted on X. Discussions also focused on enhancing intelligence cooperation in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity and emerging threats, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X. “PM @narendramodi held a productive meeting with US Director of National Intelligence @TulsiGabbard in Washington DC today. Discussions focused on enhancing intelligence cooperation in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity & emerging threats,” the post said. Modi arrived in the US capital on Wednesday around 5.30 pm (Thursday, 4 am IST) after a visit to France where he had co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. (PTI)
Robert F Kennedy Jr confirmed as health secretary
Washington, Feb 13: The Senate on Thursday confirmed Robert F Kennedy Jr. as President Donald Trump’s health secretary, putting the prominent vaccine sceptic in control of USD 1.7 trillion in federal spending, vaccine recommendations and food safety as well as health insurance programmes for roughly half the country.
Republicans fell in line behind Trump despite hesitancy over Kennedy views on vaccines, voting 52-48 to elevate the scion of one of America’s most storied political – and Democratic – families to secretary of the Health and Human Services Department.
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, was the only “no” vote among Republicans, mirroring his stands against Trump’s picks for the Pentagon chief and director of national intelligence. All Democrats opposed Kennedy.
The GOP has largely embraced Kennedy’s vision to “Make America Healthy Again” by directing the public health agencies to focus on chronic diseases such as obesity. Kennedy, 71, whose name and family tragedies have put him in the national spotlight since he was a child, has earned a formidable following with his populist and sometimes extreme views on food, chemicals and vaccines. His audience only grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Kennedy devoted much of his time to a nonprofit that sued vaccine makers and harnessed social media campaigns to erode trust in vaccines as well as the government agencies that promote them.
With Trump’s backing, Kennedy insisted he was “uniquely positioned” to revive trust in those public health agencies, which include the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes for Health.
Last week, Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he hoped Kennedy “goes wild” in reining in health care costs and improving Americans’ health. But before agreeing to support Kennedy, potential holdout Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a doctor who leads the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, required assurances that Kennedy would not make changes to existing vaccine recommendations. (AP)