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US Secretary of State of State Mike Pompeo to meet PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today  

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jun 26, 2019, 09:58 AM IST
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File photo. Photograph:(Others)

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Pompeo's visit comes days ahead of PM Modi's meeting with US President Trump in Osaka, Japan on the sidelines of 14th G20 summit and the second JAI trilateral - Japan, America and India.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today. 

His meeting with PM Modi is scheduled to begin at 10 am followed by a meet with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at 12 pm. 

Later in the day, Pompeo will make an "India policy speech" in the evening today.

He is also scheduled to meet NSA Ajit Doval in South Block this morning. They will discus multiple issues including terror and defence.

The US Secretary of State arrived in India on Tuesday evening. He is on a three-day visit to New Delhi.

Calling the visit an important one, S Jaishankar speaking in Gandhinagar said, "we have a very positive approach for the meeting." He told reporters that although it is not a structured visit, some of the areas that are likely to be tabled during the discussions would feature trade talks. Other areas of dialogue would include strategic ties, Iran-US issue, H1b visa, data localisation, terrorism and Indo-Pacific strategy among others.

On the S-400 deal, India has made it clear to the US that it has a long-standing defence relationship with Moscow which can't "be wished away" and that the deal has been in discussion with Russia for a decade. 

Watch: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives in India for three-day visit

The Trump Administration wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lower trade barriers and embrace fair and reciprocal trade, the United States said Tuesday hours after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in New Delhi on a three-day visit, news agency PTI reported. 

"There is enormous potential to grow our trade relationship and create the high-quality jobs that Prime Minister Modi wants if India lowers trade barriers and embraces fair and reciprocal trade," according to a State Department Fact Sheet.

"The Trump Administration is working to ensure that American companies operating in India have the same level playing field that Indian companies enjoy in the United States," it said.

The State Department said as India's number one overseas market, the US purchases close to one-fifth of its exports. India is also the fastest growing major market for US goods.

Pompeo's visit to India is aimed at deepening strategic relationship with the largest democratic country of the world, the US said Tuesday.

"Prime Minister Modi's sweeping mandate in the recent elections creates a unique opportunity to realize this vision," it said hours after Pompeo landed in New Delhi on a three-day visit.

Pompeo's visit comes days ahead of PM Modi's meeting with US President Trump in Osaka, Japan on the sidelines of 14th G20 summit and the second JAI trilateral - Japan, America and India.

This is the first high-level US visit to India after PM Modi took charge of his second term this year. Pompeo arrived in New Delhi last year for the 2+2 dialogue wherein the defence and foreign ministers of both the countries held meetings.