Trump considers Modi a 'great personal friend', says would-be US envoy to India

The US ambassador-designate said he is confident that the India-US relationship would continue to grow.

New Delhi: President Donald Trump considers Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a great personal friend”, Sergio Gor, who has been appointed as the new US ambassador to India, said as he visited New Delhi on Saturday amid speculation that the leaders of the two nations might meet in Kuala Lumpur to ease out the wrinkles in bilateral relations.

Gor called on the Prime Minister and handed over to him a picture of Trump and Modi addressing journalists at the White House, where they had met on February 13. Trump wrote on the picture, “Mr PM, you are great”, and signed. “Glad to receive Sergio Gor, Ambassador-designate of the US to India. I’m confident that his tenure will further strengthen the India–US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership,” Modi posted on X.

Though Gor’s nomination as the envoy of Washington, DC, to New Delhi has been confirmed by the US Senate, he has not yet taken over. He continues to serve as the director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office.

He, however, came on a short visit to New Delhi, accompanied by US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael J Rigas. He had separate meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, apart from calling on the Prime Minister.

“In fact, just before I left for New Delhi, they (Trump and Modi) had an incredible phone call. And that is something will continue over the weeks and months ahead. It's an honour to serve as President Donald Trump's ambassador to India. I look forward to this very important relationship and continuing to grow and deepen the relationship between our two nations,” Gor told journalists in New Delhi on Saturday.

Gor and Rigas arrived in New Delhi amid speculation that the Prime Minister and the US President might have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN and East Asia Summits in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28.

Gor said he had discussed bilateral issues, including defence, trade, and technology. “We also discussed the importance of critical minerals and the importance of both of our nations,” he told journalists on Saturday. “The US values its relationship with India, and under the strong leadership of President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi, I am optimistic about the days ahead for both of our nations.”

What made New Delhi cautious about the proposed Modi-Trump meeting is the possible implications of such a meeting in Kuala Lumpur in the domestic politics just ahead of the state assembly elections in Bihar. The developments hold further significance in view of the stress in the bilateral relations not only because of the 50 per cent tariff the US imposed on India had not yet been withdrawn and the trade deal negotiations could not reach a breakthrough, but also because Washington, DC, disregarded India’s sensitivities and, over the past few months, warmed up to the civil-military leadership of Pakistan.

Modi recently extended his support to Trump’s 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The US president acknowledged the support from the Prime Minister of India on his Truth Social page. He, however, singled out Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan and the chief of Pakistan Army, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and lauded them for extending support to his peace plan. He had recently hosted Sharif and Munir in the White House.