External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday underlined Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong emphasis on nurturing India’s partnership with the United States, responding to US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on bilateral ties.

Addressing questions on the evolving dynamics, Jaishankar stressed that Modi “attaches enormous importance” to the India–US relationship, adding that the Prime Minister has maintained a consistently positive personal equation with President Trump. He, however, chose not to go into deeper specifics, indicating that the engagement process with Washington remains active but sensitive at the moment.

His remarks came shortly after Prime Minister Modi publicly conveyed deep appreciation for President Trump’s statements, highlighting India–US ties as “forward-looking” and rooted in the vision of a Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.

Modi’s message on X reiterated that New Delhi values the US as a critical partner and that both nations have built a broad-based partnership extending beyond security and geopolitics into trade, technology, and people-to-people linkages.

President Trump, speaking at the White House on Friday, described the India–US partnership as a “very special relationship,” expressing his personal friendship with Prime Minister Modi while signalling dissatisfaction with certain recent Indian policy actions.

He stated that while he and Modi would always remain friends, he did “not like what he (Modi) is doing at this particular moment,” though he downplayed any fundamental concerns by noting there was “nothing to worry about” in the overall trajectory of relations.

When questioned whether Washington was ready to recalibrate ties with India, Trump affirmed that he would always be willing to do so, emphasising his personal respect for Modi’s leadership. He also addressed comments made on his Truth Social platform regarding India’s economic ties with Russia and speculation about India gravitating closer to China.

Trump dismissed such claims, but expressed “very real disappointment” over India’s large-scale purchase of Russian oil amid the ongoing global realignments, asserting that his administration had conveyed this disapproval to New Delhi directly.

He drew attention to the imposition of a 50 percent tariff on Indian goods as part of Washington’s trade posture, while recalling cordial interactions with Modi in recent months, including a joint announcement in the Rose Garden at the White House.

The diplomatic exchange unfolded against a backdrop of both affirmation and friction, reflecting the complexity of India–US ties that blend personal rapport between leaders with divergent policy approaches in areas such as trade, energy procurement, and regional alignments.

The Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi reinforced the importance of this bilateral framework, describing the US as one of India’s most critical partners. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal emphasised that the India–US relationship draws strength from their shared democratic values, mutual strategic interests, and dynamic people-to-people connections.

He noted that the partnership has successfully endured multiple transitions in leadership and shifting international scenarios, suggesting a resilience that enables both sides to absorb differences while advancing a substantive joint agenda.

He further reiterated that India remains committed to ensuring that dialogue and cooperation with Washington progress on the basis of mutual respect and converging interests, particularly in strategic, technological, and economic domains.

Taken together, the statements from Prime Minister Modi, EAM Jaishankar, the US President, and the MEA signal an effort to balance reassurance with candid acknowledgment of friction points.

While Trump’s concerns on Russia and trade underscore persistent irritants, the overarching tone from both capitals highlights continuity in prioritising India–US strategic convergence.

New Delhi, through both leadership-level and institutional channels, has reaffirmed its readiness to sustain forward momentum by deepening engagement with Washington, while also signalling that it seeks to manage disagreements pragmatically rather than allow them to derail the broader trajectory of cooperation.

The interplay of personal ties, transactional disputes, and shared global interests thus continues to define the evolving relationship, suggesting that while tactical frictions may persist, the strategic rationale for close partnership remains firmly intact.

Based On ANI Report