On his first call with the US President in months, Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, wishing the Indian leader a warm birthday on his 75th birthday.
Replying on X, Prime Minister Modi has called Trump his "friend" and thanked him for the gesture.
“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 wrote.
The request was made while the trade officials from both sides were engaged in negotiations in New Delhi. US Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch talked to India's chief trade negotiator and Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal.
Terming the dialogue as "positive," both the governments emphasized progress in furthering their trade partnership. In a statement, Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the talks were "positive and forward looking covering various aspects of the trade deal," and added that both the sides concurred "to step up efforts to reach early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement."
Trump's overtures came after he announced last week to resume trade negotiations with India.
“I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two nations,” he posted on Truth Social on September 9.
“I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries,” he added.
Trump also referred to Modi as a "very good friend" and suggested he was keen to resume their conversation "in the coming weeks.
“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,” PM Modi wrote.
Meanwhile, Sergio Gor, nominated by Trump to be the next US Ambassador to India, echoed similar sentiments during his Senate confirmation hearing. Calling India a “strategic partner,” Gor vowed to strengthen both economic and defence ties between Washington and New Delhi.
“We're actively negotiating with the Indians right now. We're not that far apart right now on a deal. In fact, they're negotiating down nitty-gritty of a deal,” he said.
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