Four years after Barack Obama, the then US President, India will reportedly have another US head of state as the chief guest at the next Republic Day celebrations in 2019. The Indian government is said to have extended an invitation to the Trump administration, The Times of India reported.

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The Trump administration is also believed to have reacted positively to the invitation, the daily reported on Thursday, 12 July.

The invite, sent in April 2018, was followed by a number of other diplomatic engagements to show the seriousness with which the Modi government is pursuing the matter.

Former President Barack Obama had arrived in India on a three-day visit in 2015, during which he attended the Republic Day parade and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Congress leaders as well.

Trump's visit, on the other hand, if it materialises, will happen amid not-so-comfortable relations between India and US over trade tariffs, differences over the H1B Visa, and the cancellation of 2+2 dialogue. While the Trump administration is determined to crack the whip on anyone importing oil from Iran, India could raise the matter for a discussion with the US President when he comes to India.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday, 13 July, said that the 2+2 dialogue with the US will happen in the first week of September, and the nations will work towards strengthening defence cooperation.

Following Barack Obama's visit, Republic Day celebration, for the Modi government, has become a platform for the prime minister to exhibit his bonhomie with world leaders.

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The Modi government had invited the then French President Francois Hollande as the chief guest in 2016, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the following year.

In 2018, India's Republic Day celebration was a witness to the attendance of 10 ASEAN leaders, making it perhaps the biggest foreign policy exhibition of the Modi government.

(With inputs from The Times of India)

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