.
US president Donald Trump said on Friday he will always be friends with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling India-US relations a “very special relationship” and adding that there is “nothing to worry about” in the ties between the two countries. However, Trump also expressed concern over some of Modi’s current actions. He told ANI, “I always will. I’ll always be friends with (PM) Modi. He’s a great Prime Minister. I’ll always be friends, but I just don’t like what he is doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a very special relationship. There is nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion”. Trump also responded to his earlier post on Truth Social, where he said the US had “lost India and Russia to China.” He said he did not think that had happened. “I don’t think we have. I’ve been very disappointed that India would be buying so much oil from Russia. I let them know that. We put a very big tariff on India- 50 per cent, very high tariff. I get along very well with (PM) Modi as you know. He was here couple of months ago, in fact we went to the Rose Garden and had a press conference,” he said. Earlier, the MEA highlighted the importance of India-US ties. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “This relationship between the United States and India is very important for us. Both our countries share a comprehensive global strategic partnership, anchored in our shared interests, democratic values, and robust people-to-people ties.” He added, “This partnership has weathered several transitions and challenges. We remain focused on the substantive agenda that our two countries have committed to, and we hope the relationship will continue to move forward based on mutual respect and shared interests.” Jaiswal also confirmed that India continues to engage with the US on trade issues.
