Finance
Hours after US President Donald Trump stated that India and the US had a special connection and that “there is nothing to worry about,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude and claimed that he “fully reciprocated” his feelings and favorable evaluation of bilateral relations.
This is Modi’s first direct comment to the US President since Trump imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports and then a week later slapped an extra 25% duty on India’s purchases of Russian oil.
Trump had said that India and the United States have a “special relationship” and there’s “nothing to worry about” as the two countries “just have moments hon occasion”, amid current tensions between Washington and Delhi.
“I’ll always be friends with (Narendra) Modi, he’s a great prime minister. He’s great. I’ll always be friends, but I just don’t like what he’s doing at this particular moment,” Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday (early Saturday morning IST). “But India and the United States have a special relationship. There’s nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion,” Trump added with a smile.
The US president was replying to a question on whether he is prepared to repair relations with India, as the two countries’ relations continue to deteriorate in what could be the worst diplomatic phase in over two decades.
Hours later, on Saturday morning, PM Modi posted on X, “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.”
This came a day after Trump said, in his first remarks on the huddle between PM Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization leaders’ summit in Tianjin last weekend, that it “looks like we have lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China”.
Trump’s remark comes amid tensions between India and the United States over his imposition of a 50% tariff on India, as well as his own efforts to urge Putin to cease the war in Ukraine.
Posting a photograph of Modi, Putin and Xi walking together, Trump took to Truth Social and had said, “Looks like we have lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”.
To a question on how trade talks are going with India and other countries, Trump said, “They are going great. Other countries are doing great. We’re doing great with all of them. We’re upset with the European Union because of what’s happening with not just Google, but with all of our big companies.”
Source: IE
