US President Donald Trump on Thursday called Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ¡°a great friend of mine." Trump, who welcomed the Indian PM at the White House, said he shares a "special bond" with Modi but warned that India won't be spared from higher tariffs he's begun imposing on countries around the world.
"We missed you, we missed you a lot," Trump said as he welcomed PM Modi at the Oval Office.
"I am delighted to see you back at the White House," PM Modi told President Trump, who won re-election in November 2024.
Trump also gifted a signed copy of his book 'Our Journey Together' to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The US President, who has been vocal about his skills as a deal-maker, also went out of his way to compliment PM Modi's ability to negotiate.
"He (PM Narendra Modi) is a much tougher negotiator than me and he is a much better negotiator than me. There is not even a contest," Trump said while addressing the joint press conference.
PM Modi also drew similarities between Trump's vision to Make America Great Again and his idea of Viksit Bharat.
"The people of America are well aware of President Trump's motto 'MAGA - Make America Great Again.' The people of India too are focusing on heritage and development as they move forward at a fast pace and with a firm resolve towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047. In the language of America, it's Make India Great Again - MIGA. When America and India work together, this MAGA plus MIGA becomes a 'mega partnership for prosperity' and it is this mega spirit that gives new scale and scope to our objectives," the PM said.
While insisting that the US will impose reciprocal tariffs on India, Trump said, "Whatever India charges, we charge them. So, frankly, it no longer matters to us that much what they charge."
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The two sides agreed to bring down the trade deficit and increase bilateral trade to more than double, reaching USD 500 billion by 2030. India has also agreed to buy more oil, gas and military hardware, including F-35 fighter jets, from the US.
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