PM Modi Expresses happiness Over Fruitful Dialogue With U S President Trump and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi held a “productive” trilateral interaction with US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on various bilateral and trilateral issues, especially, related to Indo-Pacific region, connectivity and infrastructure development ahead of the formal opening of the Summit of the Group of 20 developed nations in Osaka. The trilateral meeting between the leaders was the second Japan-America-India or JAI meeting. The discussion focused on how the three countries can work together towards an open, stable and rule-based Indo-Pacific region. PM Modi highlighted “the importance India attaches to” the grouping of the like minded nations in regional and international interest in addition to their national aspirations. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale says the discussion mainly on Indo-Pacific, how the three countries can work together in terms of connectivity, infrastructure, ensuring peace and security, and working together to build upon this new concept.POTUS congratulates Prime Ministers Modi and Abe for their electoral victories. PM Modi highlights the importance India attaches to JAI,” the prime minister’s office tweeted. Today’s meeting of the JAI Trilateral was a productive one. We had extensive discussions on the Indo-Pacific region, improving connectivity and infrastructure development. Grateful to PM @AbeShinzo and President @realDonaldTrump for sharing their views as well,” PM Modi tweeted later. “2nd ‘JAI’ – Japan-America-India Trilateral Meeting between PM @narendramodi, Japanese PM @AbeShinzo & POTUS @realDonaldTrump on margins of #G20 Summit. Discussion focused on how the 3 countries can together work together towards an open, stable & rule-based Indo-Pacific region,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Twitter. India has officially confirmed said its decision to purchase S-400 missile defence system from Russia did not figure during the talks between Prime Minister  Modi and  Trump who discussed ways to step up the bilateral military cooperation. The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 for the system. India and Russia signed a USD 5 billion S-400 air defence system deal in October last year. The White House was opposed to the acquisition of the S-400 missile system. Ahead of  PM Modi’s  meet with POTUS, US Secretary of State  Mike Pompeo had cordial interaction with PM Modi, NSA Ajit Kumar Doval and  Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar in New Delhi on several bilateral issues for preparing the ground work for the met between the Indian PM and the US President. New Delhi’s stand on the S-400 missile system was explained to him by the Indian leaders saying there was no question of  its going back on the issue.