US President Donald Trump on Thursday underscored his strong personal and diplomatic ties with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting their recent exchange of birthday greetings during a joint press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Trump said he had spoken to PM Modi recently to extend wishes on his 75th birthday and praised the strength of the India-US relationship.
“I’m very close to India. I’m very close to the Prime Minister of India. Spoke to him the other day, wished him a happy birthday. We have a very good relationship. He put out a beautiful statement, too… but I said, I sanctioned them,” Trump remarked.
On his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump posted: “Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine! President DJT.”
Hours earlier, PM Modi expressed gratitude to President Trump for the call and reaffirmed India’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.
“Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. Like you, I am also fully committed to taking the India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership to new heights. We support your initiatives towards a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict,” PM Modi said in a post on X.
The exchange came as US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch visited New Delhi to hold discussions on advancing bilateral trade talks. Lynch, who is leading negotiations for the proposed India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement, met with Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal. Both sides agreed to intensify efforts to conclude a mutually beneficial agreement at the earliest.
During the press conference, Trump also voiced concern over India’s continued purchase of Russian oil, linking it to his administration’s decision to impose a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports—25 per cent of which specifically targeted oil-related trade.
“China is paying a very large tariff right now to the United States. But I’m willing to do other things, not when the people I’m fighting for are buying oil from Russia. If the oil price comes down, Russia will settle. And the oil price is way down—we got it way down. We’re drilling and we produce more oil than anybody else in the world,” Trump said.
-ANI