Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump became the first among world leaders to greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned 75 on Wednesday, amid resumed US-India bilateral trade negotiations in the Indian capital.
President Trump on Tuesday dialled PM Modi and greeted him, in what is being seen as a significant gesture as part of Washington’s efforts to reset ties with New Delhi.
“Just had a wonderful phone call with my friend, Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wished him a very Happy Birthday! He is doing a tremendous job. Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine! President DJT,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social
Writing on X, PM Modi said: “Thank you, my friend, President Trump, for your phone call and warm greetings on my 75th birthday. 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.”
In fact, Trump’s call to wish PM Modi came a day before the Indian leader’s 75th birthday on Wednesday (September 17) when a US team of trade negotiators, led by Assistant US Trade Representative Brendan Lynch, visited New Delhi to resume the bilateral trade talks with their Indian counterparts.
Trump has imposed 50 percent tariffs on India, including 25 percent penalty for buying Russian oil. New Delhi wants the entire 50 percent tariffs to be addressed as part of the trade talks. Both sides said the ongoing talks were “positive,” but there will be more virtual meetings before the next round of negotiations happen, the media reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also warmly greeted PM Modi. The Kremlin cited him as saying: “Your work as head of government has earned you great respect from your compatriots and enormous prestige on the international stage. Under your guidance, India has achieved impressive results in the social, economic, scientific and technological spheres.
“You are making a great personal contribution to strengthening the privileged strategic partnership between our countries and to promoting mutually beneficial Russian-Indian cooperation in various areas.
“I highly appreciate our close comradely relations. We will certainly continue our constructive dialogue and joint work on current issues on the bilateral, regional, and international agendas.”
Besides Presidents Trump and Putin, several top world leaders also greeted PM Modi. In a rare move, some of them even posted video messages on social media.
These messages reflect PM Modi’s influence in reshaping India’s global image, with leaders like Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Australia’s Anthony Albanese lauding his leadership in strengthening international partnerships.
The warmth and camaraderie he shares with PM Modi was evident in Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s 25-second video message. Addressing him directly by his first name, Narendra, he called PM Modi his “good friend.”
“Prime Minister Modi, my good friend Narendra, I want to wish you a happy birthday. You have accomplished so much for India in your life, and we have together accomplished a great deal in the friendship between India and Israel. I look forward to seeing you soon because we can bring our partnership and our friendship to even greater heights. Happy birthday, my friend,” Netanyahu said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, in his 21-second video message, also hailed PM Modi as a “friend” and praised the Indian community’s role in Australia, which is among India’s closest allies, and both are part of the Quad grouping.
“I look forward to many more years of friendship and progress… Happy Birthday to my friend Prime Minister Modi. Australia is proud to share such a strong friendship with India, and we are grateful every day for the incredible contribution of the Indian community,” Albanese said.
Perhaps, the longest birthday wish came from New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, whose video lasted nearly 40 seconds. Luxon, who visited India in March this year, began his message by greeting PM Modi in Hindi and lauding his “wisdom of leadership.”
“Kia ora, namaskar, my good friend Prime Minister Modi… A milestone like this is a moment to reflect on the wisdom of your leadership as you seek to guide India towards becoming a developed country by 2047,” the NZ PM said.
Luxon emphasised that New Zealand was eager to partner with India on security, recalled his previous visit to India, and invited PM Modi to visit New Zealand soon.
Similar video messages were also posted by former UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.