Trump looking forward to discussing strategic issues with ‘true friend’ Modi

President Trump on Saturday expressed his excitement for a meeting with “true friend” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, saying the two would discuss “strategic issues”.

“Look forward to welcoming India’s PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!” he tweeted from the official @POTUS account.

Look forward to welcoming India’s PM Modi to @WhiteHouse on Monday. Important strategic issues to discuss with a true friend!

— President Trump (@POTUS) June 24, 2017

Trump and Modi have never met before, but there’s reason to believe that the president might find a friend in the prime minister. 

Both men campaigned for office as political outsiders, touting nationalist and populist messages. What’s more, both Trump and Modi have sizable followings on social media and tweet frequently.

The relationship between the U.S. and India – the world’s two largest democracies – has tightened in recent years, as investments grow and security cooperation advances.

Terrorism and regional security are likely to be subjects of discussion when the two leaders meet, particularly in regards to Pakistan, a longtime foe of India.

Trump praised Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as a “terrific guy” in a phone call between the two shortly after Trump’s election in November, a conversation that is said to have raised concerns in India.

The president has also railed against the outsourcing of jobs and has sought to crack down on companies’ use of the H-1B visa program for highly skilled workers, which he says have been abused by the U.S. tech firms who hire foreign workers in lieu of Americans. 

But he has spoken fondly of India in the past. At a campaign rally in October, Trump called the country a “natural ally” and said that the U.S. and India would be “best friends” under his administration.