NEW DELHI: In a significant diplomatic development, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held their first direct conversation since Trump's administration imposed 50% tariffs on key Indian goods.
The call came on the eve of Modi’s 75th birthday, and both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the India-U.S. strategic partnership and discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday,” PM Modi posted on X. “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, ” Modi wrote.
The call marks a notable thaw in diplomatic ties since the contentious tariff measures, and follows renewed efforts to rebuild economic bridges between the two nations.
Modi has also been talking to key European leaders urging them for an early solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
On the same day, senior trade officials from both sides met in New Delhi to revive stalled negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement. “Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Brendan Lynch had a positive meeting in Delhi with his counterpart, Ministry of Commerce and Industry Special Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, on September 16 to discuss next steps in bilateral trade negotiations,” a US Embassy spokesperson said.
Sources said the discussions included tariff reduction pathways and Modi Trump call is a marker of way forward in reiterating the salience of the bilateral ties.
The leaders’ conversation also touched on global security, with Modi explicitly backing Trump's diplomatic push to end the conflict in Ukraine — a notable endorsement amid ongoing efforts to mediate the prolonged conflict.