US President Donald Trump speaks to Narendra Modi over phone
Modi is the fifth foreign leader Trump has spoken with over phone after being sworn-in as the US President on January 20.
Washington: US President Donald Trump tonight spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone, the White House said, four days after he was sworn-in as the 45th President of America. President Trump had a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Modi, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said.
Modi is the fifth foreign leader Trump have spoken withover phone after being sworn-in as the US President on January 20.
On January 21, Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican Premier Pena Nieto. On Sunday, Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and yesterday he had a telephonic conversation with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. After Trump surprised the world with his historic victory in the November 8 general elections, Modi was among the first five world leaders to have congratulated Trump.
During his gruelling election campaign, India is among the few countries in addition to Israel with whom Trump spoke of strengthening ties if elected to power. At a charity event organised by the Republican Hindu Coalition for the Kashmiri Pandit terror victims and the Bangladeshi Hindu victims in Edison on October 15, Trump, as the then Republican presidential nominee, had praised India's fast growth rate and Modi's bureaucratic and economic reforms.
"Under a Trump Administration, we are going to become even better friends, in fact I would take the term better out and we would be best friend," Trump had told a cheering crowd of Indian-Americans in Edison, New Jersey.
"I look forward to working with Prime Minister Modi," he had said, adding that the Indian leader is very energetic. "India is key and a key strategic ally," he had said.