
First Lady Melania Trump stepped out Monday wearing a bright yellow Emilio Pucci gown to greet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the White House.

The mother-of-one stunned in the floor-length dress that retails for $2,160, as she walked alongside the president before stepping out to greet Modi, who is visiting the US for his first face-to-face meeting with the new first family.

The former Slovenian model effortlessly wore the belted floral-print crepe gown and was all smiles once Modi arrived outside the South Portico of the White House.

President Donald Trump is seeking to forge a chemistry that can add new fizz to a flourishing relationship between the world's two largest democracies.

He joked Monday that he and Modi are both 'world leaders in social media' during a joint news statement that served as an interlude to an Oval Office meeting and a dinner.

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First Lady Melania Trump stepped out Monday wearing a bright yellow Emilio Pucci dress to greet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the White House

The mother-of-one stunned in the floor-length dress that retails for $2,160 as she walked alongside the president before stepping out to greet Modi, who is visiting the US for his first face-to-face meeting with the new first family

Melania and President Donald Trump wave goodbye to the Indian Prime Minister after they hosted him for dinner at the White House

Prime Minister Modi and President Trump shake hands as they say goodbye on the South Lawn

Another hug: Trump and Modi embrace again as they say goodbye Monday evening

Modi and Trump exit the White House to the South Lawn after Trump hosted the Indian Prime Minister for dinner

Trump waves as Modi leaves the White House from the South Lawn

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania arrive to a dinner with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House

Monday's dinner is President Trump's first for a foreign dignitary hosted at the White House

Trump delivers remarks before dinner with India's Prime Minister at the White House

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's place setting shown before dinner with President Donald Trump at the White House

Trump and Melania listen as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers remarks during dinner at the White House

Melania accompanied her husband inside the Oval Office as he chatted with Modi, who did not bring his wife, during their first meeting.

FLOTUS seemed at ease while sitting attentively on a couch, as the two world leaders sat in chairs nearby.

During their brief Oval Office remarks, Trump congratulated Modi for leading his country toward economic prosperity and praised him for being 'such a great prime minister.'

The president said, 'Economically, India is doing very well.'

Modi said the two have a lot to discuss in their meetings Monday. He recalled Trump's visits to India long before he was president and said he was looking forward to collaborating with him now.

Despite differences over issues such as immigration and climate change, Modi was expected to assure Trump that the United States has nothing to fear from India's growing economic clout.

Trump, who described Modi as a 'true friend!' on Twitter after his weekend arrival in the US, should find much in common with the Indian leader, with both men having won power by portraying themselves as establishment outsiders.

The US president jested with Modi in the White House's Rose Garden that they were both 'world leaders in social media.'

Jared Kushner, left, also attended the White House dinner welcoming Indian Prime Minister Modi

The former Slovenian model effortlessly wore the belted floral-print crepe gown

She was all smiles once Modi arrived outside the South Portico of the White House

The trio seemed exceptionally happy to greet one another outside of the White House on Monday

Trump, who described Modi as a 'true friend!' on Twitter after his weekend arrival in the US, should find much in common with the Indian leader, with both men having won power by portraying themselves as establishment outsiders

They shared an awkward hug in the White House's Rose Garden in the middle of a joint appearance, showing off their newfound friendship

'I’m proud to announce to the media, to the American people and to the Indian people, that Prime Minister Modi and I are world leaders in social media,' Trump said of Modi's 31 million Twitter followers to his 32.8.

Trump added, 'We’re believers, giving the citizens of our countries the opportunity to hear directly from their elected officials, and for us to hear directly from them. I guess it’s worked very well in both cases.'

A White House official had bragged on the topic at a briefing Friday, as well, noting that Trump was 'slightly ahead' in the count.

'They are the world’s two most followed political leaders on social media,' the official told reporters during a background briefing.

Trump said later in his remarks on Monday that the the U.S. and India are working to grow their respective economies.

The president said in his Rose Garden statement that trade between the two global powers must be 'fair and reciprocal' and he is hoping barriers will be removed to the exports of U.S. goods to Indian markets so that the US can reduce its trade deficit with the country.

Modi in turn said that he's eager to welcome the senior White House advisor to India later this year

The U.S. is looking forward to exporting more American energy, including natural gas, to India, he said.

Trump also announced that his daughter, Ivanka Trump, has accepted an invitation to travel to India this fall for an entrepreneurship summit, he announced.

Modi in turn said that he's eager to welcome the senior White House advisor to India later this year.

While ties with some traditional allies have been strained by Trump's complaints that Washington has been the loser in trade agreements, Modi appears alert to his host's sensitivities and emphasis on transactional diplomacy.

Writing in a Wall Street Journal editorial published just ahead of their meeting, Modi said that in 'an uncertain global economic landscape, our two nations stand as mutually reinforcing engines of growth and innovation.'

This is Modi's fourth visit to the US as Prime Minister of India. This trip he did not bring his wife to the White House during his initial meeting with Trump

Once inside the White House, Melania accompanied her husband inside the Oval Office as he chatted with Modi during their first meeting

She seemed at ease while sitting attentively on a couch, as the two world leaders sat in chairs nearby

After an Oval Office meeting mid-afternoon, Trump and Modi will dine together at the White House, though no press conference is schedule

India is currently the world's fastest growing major economy, a status that Modi is hoping to cement by drawing in more foreign investment - in part by encouraging manufacturers to do business in Asia's third-largest economy.

'The transformation of India presents abundant commercial and investment opportunities for American businesses,' said Modi whose government is about to implement a new nationwide tax system designed to scythe through red tape.

'The rollout of the Goods and Services Tax on July 1 will, in a single stroke, convert India into a unified, continent-sized market of 1.3 billion people,' he wrote.

Ahead of his talks with Trump, Modi was meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis as India eyes the purchase of more military equipment from the US.

Trump and Modi will dine together tonight at the White House, making Modi the first world leader to be hosted for such a meal since Trump took office.

At their joint statement, Trump said that both the U.S. and India have been affected by the 'evils of terrorism' and the 'radical ideology that drives them.'

'We will destroy radical Islamic terrorism,' the American president declared.

Trump also called for the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and ballistic programs to be 'rapidly' tackled, as he thanked Modi for rallying behind sanctions on Pyongyang.

'The North Korean regime is causing tremendous problems and is something that has to be dealt with, and probably dealt with rapidly,' Trump said. 'Working together, I truly believe our two countries can set an example for many other nations, make great strides in defeating common threats, and make great progress in unleashing amazing prosperity and growth.'

The US president has made halting Pyongyang's weapons program a top foreign policy priority.

Despite international condemnation and sanctions, North Korea has a small nuclear arsenal and is developing nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that threaten Japan and South Korea -- and one day could even hit some US cities.

Washington has 28,000 troops deployed in South Korea and a naval armada in the region.

Trump and Modi were addressing a small audience at the White House following a bilateral meeting with senior members of their administrations.

They did not take questions during the event that has traditionally served as a joint news conference.

That decision - a contrast with high-profile visits from other leaders including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe - may reflect a White House effort to avoid a flurry of questions over the probe into suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 election, which has dogged Trump's young administration.

Modi (left) will be the first foreign dignitary to be hosted for dinner by President Trump at the White House

The First Lady sent the above tweet welcoming Prime Minister Modi to the White House on Monday afternoon

Relations between India and the US were generally cool until the 1990s but they warmed under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama, as India sought greater foreign investment and trade ties.

But it was not long after Trump's election that obstacles emerged on issues such as trade and visas for Indians wanting to work in the United States.

Then Trump accused India of seeking to profit from the Paris climate accord as he announced the US withdrawal from the deal this month - drawing sharp denials from New Delhi.

A proposed overhaul of H-1B visas - used by thousands of Indian software engineers to work in the United States - has caused concern in New Delhi.

But Indian officials have played down those differences, insisting that Modi was sensitive to his counterpart's concerns over American jobs and trade, and there were 'no major sticking points' that could sour the talks.

'If there's one thing we want (from the talks), it's chemistry... If the chemistry is good, then frankly everything else gets sorted,' a senior Indian official who is traveling with the prime minister told reporters in Washington.

Modi said in the Rose Garden that he had been warmly welcomed and the talks with Trump had been extremely productive.

'President Trump, I thank you for your feelings of friendship towards India and myself. I deeply appreciate your strong commitment to the enhancement of our bilateral relations,' he told him.

'I am sure that under your leadership, our mutually beneficial strategic partnership will gain new strength, new positivity, and will reach new heights, and that your vast and successful experience in the business world will lend an aggressive and forward-looking agenda to our relations,' the Indian leader said.