Obama believes PM Modi is 'honest and direct', has a clear vision for India, says US

Washington: US President Barack Obama who has held meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions, has found in him a politician who is honest and has a clear vision for India, the White House has said. “President Obama has found Prime Minister Modi to be somebody who is honest and direct, somebody who has good command of the facts, somebody who has a clear understanding of the issues that confront his country and our relationship,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters at his daily news conference on Wednesday. On Monday, Obama met Modi in Paris on the sidelines of the United Nations’ Climate Change Summit. This was the sixth meeting between the two leaders since they first met at the White House in September 2014. [caption id=“attachment_2445244” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama. File photo PTI[/caption] “He (Modi) also is somebody that has a clear vision for where he wants to take his country, and it makes him not just an effective politician, but an effective prime minister,” Earnest said. “Obama certainly does respect Prime Minister Modi and has appreciation for his skills and abilities as a politician. He also is somebody who is given a very difficult challenge of sitting atop the world’s largest democracy,” he said. “That’s not easy to work and it’s not easy work and the president of the US has special insight into how difficult it is,” he added. Referring to the frequent meetings between the two leaders, Earnest said Obama had the opportunity to consult with Modi on a number of occasions. “I think that isn’t just a testament to their good working relationship, it actually is a testament to the important issues that are at stake between our two countries and the ability of the leaders of our two countries to work through those issues and to advance our shared interests is a good thing,” Earnest said. “It’s a good thing for the world, it’s also a good thing for the citizens of our two countries,” he said. Responding to another question, the White House press secretary said he is not aware of any immediate visit of the prime minister to the White House, but did not rule it before the end of next year. “I’m not aware of any meetings that are on the agenda at this point, but I certainly wouldn’t rule out another visit by Prime Minister Modi before the end of next year,” Earnest said. PTI