Mike Pompeo meets EAM Jaishankar, set stage for Modi-Trump talks

New Delhi, June 26: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is on a two-day visit to India ahead of the G-20 summit met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar today.

Pompeo will have a working lunch with Jaishankar and meet Indian and US business leaders in a round-table format and deliver a policy speech at the India International Centre here.

"Working together to further deepen our strategic partnership. Secretary Pompeo called on PM Narendra Modi to exchange views on various aspects of Indo-US relationship. PM will meet President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the upcoming G20 Osaka Summit," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted along with pictures of the meeting.

The US Department has said the meetings will have an "ambitious agenda for the US-India strategic partnership". The visit will also build the ground for the Modi-Trump meeting in Osaka later this week.

Pompeo's visit is the first high-level visit from any country after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stunning victory in the national election. During his visit, the top Trump administration will also meet PM Modi.

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who will host a working lunch for Mr Pompeo this afternoon, said India will try to find common ground on trade issues during their discussions.

"We will be meeting with a positive attitude...The meeting with Mike Pompeo will be an important one. We will definitely discuss issues related to trade between the two countries," Jaishankar told reporters on Tuesday.

"Both the countries are having their own interests. And it is natural to have some conflicts because of that. We will find a common ground using diplomacy. We will hold discussions with the US with a positive approach," he added.

Mike Pompeo's visit marks the third visit to India by a Secretary of State during the Trump administration.