White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised India’s role as a strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific region during a press briefing on Monday (US local time), reaffirming strong bilateral ties and the personal rapport between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Responding to a question from media on China’s expanding influence in the region, Leavitt stated:
“India remains a very strategic ally in the Asia Pacific and the President has a very good relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and he will continue to have that.”
Her comments came as External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar is currently visiting the United States to attend the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. On Monday, Jaishankar also inaugurated a UN exhibition titled “The Human Cost of Terrorism”, aiming to highlight global inaction on state-sponsored terrorism.
The QUAD, comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, is a key diplomatic framework promoting a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific. The partnership traces its roots to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, evolving since into a powerful strategic grouping.
On June 18, the White House confirmed that President Trump accepted Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to attend the next QUAD Summit in New Delhi later this year.
“For the next meeting of QUAD, PM Modi invited President Trump to India. While accepting the invitation, President Trump said that he is excited to come to India,” said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in a video statement following the G7 Summit in Canada.
Leavitt’s remarks on strategic cooperation came shortly after another ANI question on the ongoing India-US trade negotiations. She confirmed that a bilateral trade agreement is nearing finalisation.
“Yes, the President said that last week (that the US and India are very close to a trade deal), and it remains true. I just spoke to our Secretary of Commerce about it. He was in the Oval Office with the President. They are finalising these agreements, and you’ll hear from the President and his trade team very soon when it comes to India,” Leavitt said.
These developments underscore the deepening ties between the two nations — not only in economic and defense cooperation, but also through shared regional objectives in the Indo-Pacific, especially as tensions rise with China’s assertive posture.