“We are a significant purchaser of US energy in any case. I think last year we purchased about $15 billion in US energy output. There is a good chance that this figure will go up to as much as $25 billion in the near future, and so therefore we are a significant producer, and today’s discussions did focus considerably on the possibility of more energy purchases. It is entirely possible that these increased energy purchases will contribute to impacting the deficit between the two countries as well,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.Prime Minister Narendra Modi also stated that India will repatriate any of its citizens living illegally in the US while stressing the need for global efforts to combat human trafficking. Responding to a journalist’s question following his joint statement with President Trump, Modi clarified that this policy applies worldwide, asserting that anyone who enters a country illegally has no right to remain there.His comments come just a week after 104 Indians were deported from the US on a military aircraft, with their hands and legs shackled, sparking controversy back home.Trump, referring to Modi as a “great friend for a very long time,” also praised the Indian Prime Minister as a “much tougher negotiator” than himself. Modi, in turn, acknowledged Trump’s reputation as a dealmaker. “If there is any single person who can claim ownership of the word ‘deal,’ it is Trump,” Modi said.The two leaders also decided to advance cooperation in critical and emerging technologies through the launch of the US-India TRUST Initiative (Transforming the Relationship Utilising Strategic Technology). This initiative aims to foster collaboration among governments, academia, and the private sector in areas such as defence, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, energy, and space.
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