The US has invited PM Narendra Modi to Washington later this year.
Washington/New Delhi: India can count on me 100 per cent, US President Donald Trump has said, calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "great" friend during an event celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence.
The event at the Bharat Mandapam in the Indian capital was graced by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador Sergio Gor.
"I just want to say hello to everybody. I love the Prime Minister, (Narendra) Modi is great, he is my friend and I just want to say a very good evening to everybody," Trump said in a phone conversation with Gor. "I am a big, big fan of Prime Minister Modi," he added.
The US ambassador held his phone to a microphone for the audience to hear Trump's remarks. "We've never been closer to India and India can count on me 100 per cent and our country," the US president said. "If they ever need help, they know where to call -- they call right here."
Trump also claimed that the US economy was doing well. "We're doing well, we're setting records. We've a record economy, a record stock market," he said.
In his remarks, Trump also described Rubio as the "greatest secretary of state in the history of the US" and concluded by saying: "Say hello to Prime Minister Modi and let him know I'm a big fan." In his brief address, Rubio, who visited India from May 23-26, described the country as a key partner of the US.
Jaishankar said the US declaration of independence articulated ideas that shaped the modern world, such as individual liberty, rule of law, free speech and accountable governance, and their resonance in India was natural, given the country's history as a pluralistic society with a consultative ethos.
The experiences of the US independence movement were taken into account by the makers of India's Constitution and the affinities between the two sides have grown with deeper economic and technology ties, Jaishankar said.
There was also a celebration of Rubio's birthday and the evening was capped by a performance by the American band Village People.
Trade deal by next month?The US team for trade talks will be visiting India next month from June 1-4 to finalize the details of the interim agreement and take forward the negotiations under the broader bilateral trade agreement on multiple areas such as market access, non-tariff measures, customs and trade facilitation, investment promotion and economic security alignment. The Indian team visited Washington, DC, from April 20- 23 for an in-person round of meetings with their US counterparts. US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, has expressed immense confidence regarding the finalization of a landmark bilateral trade deal between Washington and New Delhi in the "coming weeks and months". |
