Washington, Feb 10 (AFP) President Donald Trump will visit India, with stops in the capital New Delhi and the western state of Gujarat, from February 24-25, the White House announced on Monday.

Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will make the trip to "strengthen the United States - India strategic partnership," the announcement said.

Gujarat is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was also the home of independence icon Mahatma Gandhi.

The White House said that Trump and Modi talked by telephone over the weekend.

The two leaders have pursued a close relationship, with Modi visiting in September and hosting Trump at a huge rally in Houston, Texas, dubbed "Howdy, Modi!" (AFP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)