G20 Summit: PM Modi expected to travel to US; bilateral with Trump likely on the cards, say sources

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to travel to the US in December this year to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in Florida. US President Donald Trump will host the gathering of world leaders in Florida, sources aware of the preparations told India Today.

The G20 Summit is scheduled to take place on December 14-15 at the Trump National Doral Miami in Florida. It is the first time that the US has hosted the multilateral summit since 2009.

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If Modi's Florida travel plans are finalised, he is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the Summit. The government, however, is yet to make any formal announcement on PM Modi's US visit.

The possibility of a Modi-Trump bilateral comes amid continuing India-US engagement on trade and other areas of bilateral cooperation and the looming threat of 100 per cent tariff on Indian imports over Russian oil purchases.

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Besides this, preparations are underway for a likely Quad leaders' summit on the sidelines of G20. Earlier this month, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said that PM Modi is likely to be a

"If you asked the President, 'You have 35 people coming. Who do you want to see?', the Prime Minister would be at the top of that list," Gor told India Today TV.

He added, “Because the President considers the Prime Minister a friend, I anticipate that there will be more to that visit than just a group meeting."

He added that Trump remembers his 2020 visit fondly and could return to India next year.

“Every single time I speak to him, he remembers very fondly the incredible visit that he had here, the incredible people he met and, of course, his dear friend, the Prime Minister,” he said.

Furthermore, he said that New Delhi should "get used to" more frequent visits by senior US officials as Washington seeks a closer relationship with India.

He also hinted at Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India in October, only months after his 4-day visit.

“This is very rare, that the Secretary of State would come twice in such a short time. My message was very clear: get used to it,” Gor said.