India invites Donald Trump to be Chief Guest at 2019 Republic Day

New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump most likely to be the Chief Guest at the next year's Republic Day Parade, said reports.

The invite was sent to Trump in April and if he accepts it, he will be the second US President to grace the occasion after Barack Obama, who attended India's Republic Day event in 2015 as Chief Guest .

As per the informed sources, the BJP-led NDA government, which is yet to get a nod from the White House, is eyeing to showcase this as a huge achievement of its foreign policy.

The sources have indicated that the US Administration of President Trump is looking positively at the invitation sent by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The reports of invitation have arrived at a time when the two countries, India and the US, have developed some serious differences over issues like trade tariffs, US reluctance to acknowledge India's close energy and historical ties with Iran and New Delhi's proposed deal for purchase of S-400 missile defence system from Russia.

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In spite of all these issues, the Modi-led government is highly hopeful of India will be granted a waiver from sanctions the US is threatening to impose on those importing crude from Iran.

This year, the Heads of States from 10 Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) had graced the 2018 Republic Day parade at the Rajpath as Chief Guests.

In 2017, the chief guest at the R-Day parade was crown prince of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In 2016, French President François Hollande had attended the Republic Day parade in New Delhi as the chief guest. In 2015, Barack Obama became the first US President to attend the Republic Day event in India. Obama had come to India with his wife and former First Lady Michelle and was received by PM Modi.