India PM Modi speaks with US President Trump days after inauguration event
Modi congratulated Trump for his “historic second term”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with the newly sworn president of the United States, Donald Trump, on the phone on Monday.
This is the first time the two politicians, who describe each other as friends, talked since Trump's mega inauguration event.
"Delighted to speak with my dear friend Donald Trump. Congratulated him on his historic second term. We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership. We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security," PM Modi wrote on X.
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Donald Trump took the oath of office as the president of the United States on January 20, over three months after he pulled off a spectacular victory against her Democratic rival Kamala Harris.
The grand event in Washington was attended by celebrities from across the world, including Indian industrialist Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani. Several Indian-Americans, including Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, also attended the glittering event.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar represented India at the event.
After attending the Trump inaugural, Jaishankar praised the strong and growing bilateral relationship between India and the United States, noting that the Trump administration is prioritising the partnership and looking to build on the solid foundation laid by previous administrations.
In an interaction with the media following the event, Jaishankar described the Trump administration's enthusiasm towards India's involvement in the inaugural and its broader strategic aims.
"If I were to share my overall impressions, I would say one, it was very keen. It was very clear that the Trump administration was keen to have India present at the inaugural itself. They're clearly prioritising the bilateral relationship," Jaishankar said.
Meanwhile, Indian and US diplomats were trying to arrange a meeting in February between PM Modi and Trump in Washington, two Indian sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
Trump visited India in February 2020 during his previous term in office. Then, he was cheered by more than 100,000 Indians at a cricket stadium in Ahmedabad. In 2019,
Trump held a "Howdy Modi" rally with Modi in Houston, drawing 50,000 people, mainly Indian Americans.
