Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: In their first phone conversation in months, US President Donald Trump called Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17 to extend greetings on his 75th birthday. PM Modi, in a post on X, called Trump his “friend” and thanked him for the wishes. “Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. 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,” PM Modi wrote.
The phone call comes as US Assistant Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch held talks with India’s chief trade negotiator and Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal in Delhi. Both sides termed the discussions as “positive.”
A statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry termed the talks as “positive and forward looking covering various aspects of the trade deal.” It added that both sides “decided to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement.” The phone call comes days after President Trump announced the resumption of trade talks with India. “I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two nations,” he posted on Truth Social on September 9.
“I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries,” he added.
