New York/Washington: Signalling a thaw in the bilateral chill between India and the US, President Donald Trump has said he feels “certain” that there will be “no difficulty” for the two countries to come to a “successful conclusion” in trade talks and he looks forward to speaking with his “very good friend” Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming weeks.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, the US president said he was “pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations.”
“I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!” he said.
“I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!” he added.
Trump’s remarks come days after he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “great prime minister” and said that they will “always be friends” amid concerns over the impact of Trump’s 50 percent tariff on India.
PM Modi had also responded to Trump’s remarks and said he “deeply appreciates” and “fully reciprocates” the US President’s sentiments and his “positive assessment” of their ties.
Modi also pointed out that India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking, comprehensive, and global strategic partnership.
The remarks represent a notable shift in tone for Trump, who had earlier said that America had “lost” India and Russia to China, while members of his administration separately amped up the rhetoric against New Delhi.
Trump had also criticised US-India ties earlier, describing them as a “totally one-sided relationship,” though he claimed India had offered to cut tariffs “to zero”, but suggested the concession might have come “too late.”
India-US relations are currently experiencing their most strained period in over two decades, with tensions playing out publicly mainly due to Trump’s social media posts and comments on Russian energy purchases.
