How PM Modi-Donald Trump Address Each Other — MEA After US President's 'Sir Please' Claim

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump have a friendly relationship and have always addressed each other with mutual

respect as per diplomatic norms. MEA was responding on how leaders address each other after Donald Trump earlier this week suggested that PM Modi addressed him as "Sir".Donald Trump a few days ago at the House GOP Member Retreat had claimed that the Prime Minister raised the issue of delay in delivering US-made Apache attack helicopters when he addressed him as "Sir".

In a statement, Donald Trump claimed that PM Modi came to see him and said, "Sir, may I see you please."However, addressing the matter in the weekly presser, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Friday dismissed Trump’s claims saying that both the leaders address each other with mutual respect.

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India Rejects US Version On Why Trade Deal Has Not Taken Place So Far

In another statement, MEA rejected as "inaccurate" US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick's remarks that a proposed trade deal between the two countries couldn't be sealed last year, as PM Modi did not make a telephone call to President Donald Trump.

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New Delhi also asserted that it remained interested in concluding a "mutually beneficial" trade deal between the two "complementary economies" and noted that Modi and Trump held phone conversations on eight occasions in 2025, covering different aspects of ties.ALSO READ | 'Matter Of Deep Concern': India Reacts After US Strikes Venezuela, Captures President MaduroNegotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between the two sides hit a major roadblock after Trump slapped a whopping 50 per cent tariff on India, including a 25 per cent additional duty for its purchase of Russian crude oil.Lutnick told a podcast that India had been given "three Fridays" to seal the trade agreement, and that Modi had to call Trump to close it.The fresh row between the two sides came as their relations passed through possibly the worst phase in the last two decades.ALSO READ | 'Modi, Trump Spoke For…': MEA Tears Down US Statement on Why India-US Trade Deal Did Not HappenIn his controversial comments in an interview on Thursday, Lutnick detailed how the India-US trade deal has not happened till now.The decision to negotiate the trade deal was taken at a meeting between PM Modi and President Trump at the White House on February 13.

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"We have seen the remarks. India and the US were committed to negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US as far back as February 13 last year," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said."Since then, the two sides have held multiple rounds of negotiation to arrive at a balanced and mutually beneficial trade agreement," he said at his weekly media briefing.The MEA spokesperson also said, "On several occasions, we have been close to a deal. The characterisation of these discussions in the reported remarks is not accurate."Jaiswal said India remained interested in a mutually beneficial trade deal between two complementary economies, and it is looking forward to concluding it."Incidentally, the prime minister and President Trump have also spoken on the phone on eight occasions during 2025, covering different aspects of our wide-ranging partnership," he said.People familiar with the matter said no occasion had come in the course of last year when one single phone call could have helped seal the trade pact.In his comments, Lutnick said India and the US were pretty close to firming up the trade pact, as he elaborated on negotiations for a similar deal with the UK.With inputs from PTI