Donald Trump To Have Trilateral Meeting With PM Modi, Japan's Abe In Argentina On Sidelines Of G20 Summit

The U.S. President Donald Trump will have a trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires on November 30 and December 1, the White House said on Tuesday, November 27.

The trilateral, which would be an expansion of the bilateral between Mr. Trump and Mr. Abe, is part of the series of meetings Mr. Trump would have later this week on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Argentina. The annual meeting is being attended by leaders of the top 20 economies of the world.

Briefing reporters ahead of the G20 Summit, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said that Mr. Trump will also have meetings with President Mauricio Macri of Argentina, President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

READ: The US Stands With India In Its Quest For Justice For 26/11: Donald Trump

Mr. Bolton said the Trump-Abe bilateral meeting would expand into a trilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi. No other details were immediately available. However, all eyes are expected to be on two meetings that Mr. Trump would have with the Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Mr. Trump will be holding over half a dozen bilateral meetings on the sidelines of this week’s Group of 20 summits in Argentina, the White House said.

“While at the G20 the President and delegation will interact with many leaders, including bilateral meetings with the President of Argentina, the President of Russia, Prime Minister of Japan and the Chancellor of Germany, and a working dinner with the President of China,” Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told a White House briefing.

READ: 26/11 Mumbai Terror Attack Anniversary: The US Announces USD 5 Million Reward For Information On 26/11 Perpetrators

Asked whether Mr. Trump planned to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — who the CIA reportedly believes authorised the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi — Ms. Sanders said an informal meeting remained a possibility.

“I wouldn’t say we’ve ruled out any interaction,” she said, although she stressed that “the President’s schedule is pretty packed” and that no formal bilateral was planned.

Mr. Trump has doubled down on his partnership with Saudi Arabia, calling it an indispensable ally, despite the Central Intelligence Agency’s reported conclusion that Prince Mohammed authorised the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Argentina from November 28 to December 2 to participate in the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires. Modi will also highlight the risks posed by oil price volatility and raise the issue of combating terror financing and money laundering, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said. 

The foreign secretary said Modi will also meet United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mauricio Macri, the President of Argentina; Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He will also meet the prime ministers of Spain, Jamaica, the Netherlands and the president of the European Union and European Council. A bilateral meeting between Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron is also being worked out.