NEW DELHI: During the US Embassy’s 250th Independence Day celebrations in Delhi, President Donald Trump made a surprise audio call, expressing his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “I just want to say hello to everybody. I love the Prime Minister. Modi is great. He’s my friend,” Trump stated in the call.
Further emphasizing US-India relations, Trump remarked, “We’ve never been closer to India, and India can count on me 100% and our country. If they ever need help, they know who they call. They call right here. We’re doing well. We’re setting records. We have a record economy, a record stock market, and anything India wants again. And I’m a big, big fan of Prime Minister Modi.”
The event featured addresses from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor. Gor noted the personal rapport between Trump and Modi, sharing, “Every time the President and I speak, one of the first questions the President will ask is, how is my friend, the Prime Minister, doing? That is something that is important to convey because this relationship is not new.”
He characterized the India-US partnership as laying the groundwork for “a new era,” emphasizing the ongoing developments in bilateral cooperation. “This bond is the foundation of a new era. We are actively delivering on the promise of our cooperation and building a future of tangible achievements,” Gor explained.
In his remarks, Gor highlighted that since arriving in New Delhi five months ago, the two countries had announced an interim trade deal anticipated to be signed in the coming weeks. He also mentioned that India had “been invited, accepted and joined Pax Silica,” and noted that commercial diplomacy between both nations had reached a “record high level.”
“I am specifically proud that every embassy competes to bring investment into the United States, and our embassy in India came in number one in the world with $20.5 billion of new investments into the United States,” Gor added, stating, “Tonight is not only about celebrating history. It is about looking ahead to a new era of shared success driven by the extraordinary momentum in the US-India partnership.”
