'Donald Trump's visit will have good impact on India-US strategic partnership'

As India awaits eagerly for United States President Donald Trump, Jitendra Kumar Tripathi and Ashok Sajjanhar, two former Ambassadors, said on Sunday that this visit will have a good impact on India and US strategic partnership.

As India awaits eagerly for United States President Donald Trump, Jitendra Kumar Tripathi and Ashok Sajjanhar, two former Ambassadors, said on Sunday that this visit will have a good impact on India and US strategic partnership. "India's relationship with the US has seen many ups and downs during the last century but since 2002 the relations are on a steady path of development. This visit has added advantage for India as the US President will not be visiting Pakistan," Jitendra Kumar Tripathi told ANI.

He said that it is usual practise of a high dignitary from the US visiting Pakistan either before or after visiting India. "This is a matter of great discomfiture for Pakistani establishment and they had on record expressed their disappointment," he added.

On the topics that might be taken up for discussion during the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump in Delhi, Tripathi said that there might be talks on defence production, energy procurement, H1B1 visa, anti-terrorism and trade, though not much. Ashok Sajjanhar said, "I think the topics on top of their agenda will be strategic partnership, terrorism, defence nuclear energy co-operation, growing convergence, congruence of views of Indo-Pacific - how to constraint, how to counter the rapid rise of China and its assertive and aggressive role as far as the South China Sea is concerned."

"Also, issues like how to undertake different projects together which would help counter the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative of China and also how to operationalise the quad grouping of four countries - US, India, Japan, Australia, will be discussed in the meeting," he told ANI. He added that there might be discussions on plans of the US withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan.

"Afghanistan is one issue where we do not see eye to eye with the US as we feel that if the US forces leave Afghanistan then that would embolden the Taliban and Pakistan. This would harm the peace and security in the region and the USD 3 billion investments that India has made in that country. We have to apprise rump about our views," he added. In terms of trade, Ashok Sajjanhar, like Jitendra Kumar Tripathi, said that some forward movement will be in this aspect.

Tripathi said that the US President has to tell his countrymen the concrete deals he has made, besides the issue of Afghanistan. "He has till now not been able to fulfill the promises he made in his manifesto. He tried to build a good relation with North Korea but it backfired. So, now he wants to show the world community that he is a big politician, big statesman who can change the course of history," he added. Tripathi also said that while several people are criticising the amount of money being spent on the two-day visit by the US President, "it is important to understand that it is not Donald Trump who is visiting but a US President and we will gain a lot from this visit." (ANI)

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