Washington: India and the US share a rich and robust relationship and President Barack Obama looks forward to building on that when he meets with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here, the White House said on Thursday.
"As you know, the President after the election of Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi, invited him to Washington. We're still working on locking down a date. The president does look forward to meeting with the Prime Minister at a mutually convenient time," White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference.
Referring to the recent India trip by Secretary of State John Kerry and Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel during which they not only met their Indian counterparts but also Modi, Earnest said they discussed the very broad relationship between the United States and India.
Obama was briefed on these visits when Kerry and Hagel met him at the White House on Tuesday and Monday respectively.
"Items on the agenda included national security and counter- terrorism cooperation for sure. There were also discussions about the economic ties and trade relationship that exists between India and the United States," Earnest said.
"So, there is a rich, robust relationship between the United States and India that was on display when the (US) President hosted Prime Minister Modi's predecessor for a State Dinner here at the White House early in the first term of this administration. And the President looks forward to building on that relationship when he meets with Prime Minister Modi at a time sometime soon," he said.
