Responding to comments made by United States President Donald Trump on Friday that New Delhi and Washington “have a special relationship”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that he appreciates the US president’s “positive assessment” of the bilateral ties.

“Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties,” Modi said on social media. “India and the US have a very positive and forward-looking Comprehensive and Global Strategic Partnership.”

The comments were exchanged at a time when the diplomatic ties between New Delhi and Washington are strained, mainly because of Trump having imposed so-called reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods and punitive levies for purchasing Russian oil amid the Ukraine war.

Modi’s comment came hours after Trump said that he will “always be friends with Modi”.

Trump told reporters at the White House that “there is nothing to worry about” the US’ ties with India because the two countries have a “special relationship”.

When asked by a reporter about his social media post on Friday that the US had “lost India” to China, Trump said: “I don’t think we have”.

“I get along very well with Modi as you know, he was here a couple of months ago, we went to the Rose Garden,” he added.

In a social media post on Friday, Trump wrote: “Looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest, China. May they have a long and prosperous future together!”

The remark was posted alongside a photo of Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at a summit.

Modi had met Xi and Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit on August 31 and September 1. The multilateral forum includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and five Eurasian nations.

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Modi had met Xi and Putin five days after a 50% tariff on goods imported from India to the US took effect.

The Trump administration had announced on August 6 that it would double the tariffs on goods imported from India to 50% for purchasing Russian oil amid the Ukraine war. A 25% so-called reciprocal tariff had already taken effect.

On Monday, after the summit concluded, Trump had described the US trade relationship with India as “totally one-sided” and reiterated his allegations that New Delhi charged inordinately high tariffs on American goods.

Trump has repeatedly alleged that India’s imports were fuelling Russia’s war in Ukraine.

New Delhi had previously said that it was “extremely unfortunate” that the US had chosen to impose additional tariffs on India “for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest”.

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