“We’ve never been closer”: Trump pledges total support for India

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump, speaking by phone at a US Embassy event marking America’s 250th independence anniversary, on Sunday pledged his “100 per cent” support for India.

“I love India… I love the Prime Minister. (Narendra) Modi is great. He’s my friend,” Trump said. “We’ve never been closer to India, and India can count on me 100 per cent and our country. We have a record economy, a record stock market. And anything India wants, they get. And I’m a big, big fan of Prime Minister Modi.”

Trump joined the event by speakerphone after US Ambassador Sergio Gor called him at about 9 pm IST. Around 1,500 guests attended the function at Bharat Mandapam, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Rubio said the US India relationship is a “valuable strategic partnership” well suited to address the challenges and opportunities of the modern era, citing shared values and common interests. Jaishankar described the ties as spanning trade and investment, defence and security, and critical and emerging technologies, and as rooted in both countries’ democratic and market based systems.

Music composer A R Rahman was among the performers at the event.