Trump to skip India in Asia tour in November, but might meet PM Modi

US President Donald Trump will travel to Asia in November for the first time since becoming President, stopping in Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines on a trip expected to be dominated by the North Korea nuclear threat, but which will also look at the South-east Asia region. Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.

However, Trump will not be able to visit India but is expected to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Asean summit in Manila.

Though no announcement has been made yet, Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the regional summit, along with the American president.

"The President will participate in a series of bilateral, multilateral, and cultural engagements - including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit - demonstrating his continued commitment to the alliances and partnerships of the United States in the region," the White House said in a statement.

"President Trump will discuss the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region to America's prosperity and security. He will also emphasise the importance of fair and reciprocal economic ties with America's trade partners. The President's engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," the statement added.

OneIndia News (with inputs from agencies)