NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be one of the first world leaders to visit the United States after President Donald Trump started his second term. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed this on Friday.

PM Modi's visit is scheduled for February 12 and 13, following an invitation from President Trump. This will be his first trip to the US since Trump's second term began.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said that inviting PM Modi so soon after the new administration took office shows the strong bond between India and the US. It also highlights the support for this relationship across political parties in America.

During the visit, PM Modi will have a private meeting with President Trump, followed by a larger discussion with their delegations. He will also meet top US officials, business leaders, and members of the Indian community.

Misri noted that India and the US have built a strong partnership in recent years. He recalled that PM Modi visited the US twice during Trump’s first term, in 2017 and 2019. After Trump’s recent election win, Modi was among the first leaders to congratulate him and later spoke with him again after his inauguration.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had attended Trump's inauguration last month and met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also had talks with the new US National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz.

On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth spoke over the phone. They reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defence ties and agreed to advance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The US Defence Department stated that both sides are working on a new 10-year defence framework and the next 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.