Evian-Les-Bains (France): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday described Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi as one of the “toughest” negotiators and said he plans to visit India in the future, as the two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France.
In his characteristic style, Trump went on to compliment Modi, saying, “He is the most beautiful-looking man. He looks so nice, he is like an angel. But actually, he is just tough — he is a killer.”
“But he looks so good, he gets you by surprise. People say he is such a nice man. I say he is very tough, he is a tough trader,” Trump added, as Modi smiled at the remarks.
Asked how close India and the United States were to concluding a trade agreement, Trump indicated that negotiations were nearing completion while praising Modi’s bargaining skills.
“We are very close. We have been there for a little while. He is a very tough negotiator — one of the toughest,” Trump said while addressing reporters alongside the prime minister.
Trump also recalled the “Howdy, Modi!” event held in Texas in 2019, saying Modi had immense affection for the people of India. When Modi referred to the “Namaste Trump” event hosted in Ahmedabad in 2020, Trump responded by saying, “We will be going to India sometime in the future.”
The comments came during a media interaction following the leaders’ talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. Their discussions covered a range of issues, including the proposed bilateral trade agreement, defence and security cooperation, and the ongoing crisis in West Asia.
