Amid Trade Tensions, Negotiations And A Thaw, Trump Wishes PM Modi On Birthday
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked US President Donald Trump for his wishes ahead of the former's 75th birthday, stressing his commitment to bettering India-US ties.
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- From: India News Bull
In an X platform post, PM Modi stated, "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."
Trump responded via Truth Social that he had a "wonderful call" with PM Modi, praising him for doing a "tremendous job" and acknowledging India's support for American initiatives aimed at resolving the Ukraine-Russia war.
"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," Trump wrote on his social media platform.
Modi's message comes amid challenging trade relations, with the US having imposed substantial tariffs on Indian imports - 50 percent duty overall, including 25 percent on Russian oil purchases, among the highest rates globally. Further tension arose when US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick recently warned that India might lose access to American markets if it refuses to purchase US-grown corn.
For the first time since these steep tariffs were implemented, both nations held discussions on Tuesday regarding bilateral trade negotiations, which Washington described as "positive." The resumption of trade deal talks indicates both sides' willingness to find common ground and narrow differences across various issues while working to improve their relationship.
The decision to conduct these trade talks followed Prime Minister Modi's warm response to Trump's recent comments about addressing "trade barriers" between the two countries.
The US president mentioned he looked forward to speaking with Modi in the "upcoming weeks" and expressed confidence that both nations would successfully finalize the proposed trade agreement.
The India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership encompasses critical initiatives in defense, trade, energy, and technology. During a February meeting between the leaders in Washington, they established an ambitious target of more than doubling bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030.