 "PM Modi and Trump met at the Oval Office in the White House. Reuters/File Photo")
US President Donald Trump has said that he is “looking forward” to speaking with his “very good friend” Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the following weeks, adding that his administration is working to negotiate a trade deal with India.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries! I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks.”
PM Modi responds
PM Modi has responded to Trump’s Truth Social post, saying, “India and the US are close friends and natural partners. I am confident that our trade negotiations will pave the way for unlocking the limitless potential of the India-US partnership. Our teams are working to conclude these discussions at the earliest.”
The prime minister also confirmed that he will speak to Trump soon and “work together to secure a brighter, more prosperous future for both our people.”
Trump has reposted PM Modi’s tweet on Truth Social.
Is Trump softening his India stance?
Trump has shifted his tone towards India, after repeatedly slamming the country for buying Russian oil, calling its economy “dead” and warning that the US “lost” New Delhi to China after PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin at the SCO Summit.
Following his remark on India, China and Russia, Trump backtracked and called PM Modi his “good friend”. He said, “I’ll always be friends with (Narendra) Modi… He’s a great prime minister. He’s great. But I just don’t like what he’s doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a special relationship. There’s nothing to worry about."
PM Modi, meanwhile, “reciprocated” Trump’s assertion on India-US ties, saying, “Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties. India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.”
Tensions between the two nations reached an all-time high after Trump imposed nearly 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods, complaining about New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil. In response to this, India called the tariffs “unfair”, pointing out how China is not receiving similar scrutiny despite the fact that it purchases more oil from Russia than India.