Trump praises PM Modi’s anti-drug efforts, says looking forward to continued India-US cooperation

US President Donald Trump has welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modirsquos efforts to tackle illicit opium poppy cultivation and strengthen supply chain security while identifying India among 23 major drug transit or illicit drugproducing countries for fiscal year 2027The determination makes clear that inclusion on the broader list does not necessarily reflect a governmentrsquos performance in fighting drugs India was not among the four countries separately designated as having ldquofailed demonstrablyrdquo to meet their international counterdrug obligationsldquoI welcome Prime Minister Modi and the Government of Indiarsquos efforts to address illicit opium poppy cultivation and bolster supply chain integrityrdquo Trump saidldquoI look forward to continued cooperation through the United StatesIndia Drug Policy FrameworkrdquoThe presidential determination was submitted to Congress on September 15 and released in a September 16 media note It sets out Washingtonrsquos assessment of drug production trafficking and international cooperationAlongside India the broader list includes China Pakistan Afghanistan Mexico and Colombia The determination does not set out specific shortcomings in Indiarsquos counterdrug efforts Its passage on India welcomes the governmentrsquos measures and points to further bilateral cooperationldquoA countryrsquos presence on the foregoing list is not necessarily a reflection of its governmentrsquos current counterdrug efforts or coordination with the United Statesrdquo the determination statesTrump separately designated Afghanistan Bolivia Myanmar referred to as Burma in the document and Colombia as having failed demonstrably during the previous 12 months to make substantial efforts to meet their counterdrug obligationsHe also determined that US assistance to Bolivia Myanmar and Colombia was currently vital to American national interestsThe praise for India contrasted with demands for stronger action from China Canada and Mexico Trump accused China of remaining the worldrsquos largest producer of many precursor chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl methamphetamine and other illicit synthetic drugsHe said he had raised the issue directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping According to the determination China introduced licensing requirements last year for companies exporting designated precursor chemicals to North America at Trumprsquos requestHowever Trump said criminals continued to evade those controls by using unregulated chemicals He called on Beijing to place additional precursor chemicals and substances under control and strengthen cooperation to enable prosecutionsOn Canada he alleged that clandestine laboratories continued to produce fentanyl and that precursor chemicals and synthetic drugs were entering the United States through Canadian territory He urged action against laboratories and criminal networksTrump credited Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaumrsquos administration with greater drug seizures the dismantling of clandestine laboratories and additional security deployments along the shared borderBut he urged Mexico to increase port inspections strengthen industry participation in supply chain security and prosecute officials accused of helping cartelsThe determination also removed Venezuela from the category of countries judged to have failed demonstrably to fulfil their drug control commitments Trump cited cooperation with its interim government and said he expected continued measurable progress against traffickingThe broader country list is based on statutory definitions in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 Geographic commercial and economic factors can place a country on it because they allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be produced or transported even where authorities undertake robust enforcementThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever