New Delhi: Four days into office, US President Donald Trump has declared India a “true friend and partner” in a phone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which they vowed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder” in the fight against terror and strengthen defence and economic ties.
During their telephonic conversation on Tuesday night, the two leaders also extended invitations to each other for bilateral visits. Meanwhile, tweeting this morning that he had invited President Trump to visit India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he and Trump had “agreed to work closely in the coming days to further strengthen bilateral ties” and that he had “a warm conversation” with the US President.
On Wednesday, the White House too said in a statement, “During a call with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, President Trump emphasised that the US considers India a true friend and partner in addressing challenges around the world”.
“President Trump looked forward to hosting Prime Minister Modi in the US later this year,” it said, according to new agency reports from Washington DC.
The two leaders discussed opportunities to strengthen the partnership between the US and India in broad areas such as the economy and defence.
Besides this, they also discussed security in the region of South and Central Asia. Trump and Modi resolved that the US and India stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the global fight against terrorism, the statement said.
Modi is the fifth foreign leader Trump has spoken with over phone after being sworn-in as the new US President on January 20. After Trump surprised the world with his historic victory in the November 8 general elections, Modi was among the first few world leaders who congratulated him.
