US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he plans to visit India in the future as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "very tough negotiator" and "tough trader" during talks on the sidelines of the G7 summit, underscoring the close personal rapport between the two leaders.
"We'll be going to India sometime in the future," said Trump.
Underscoring the importance of India-US ties, Trump said New Delhi has a strong ally in Washington as long as he remains in office.
“As long as I am President, they (India) have a great friend in the White House,” Trump said.
Trump recalled the "Howdy Modi" event in Houston and highlighted the Indian Prime Minister's political and negotiating skills.
The US president also described PM Modi as someone who appears gentle in public but is exceptionally tough behind the scenes.
"He's a very tough negotiator. You look at this man. I'll give you a lesson. He's the most beautiful-looking man. He looks so nice, like an angel. But actually, he's as tough as he is a killer," Trump said.
"But he looks so good. So he gets you by surprise. There are a few people like this. People say he's such a nice man. I said he's very tough. He's a tough trader, and he loves the Indian people, but he also loves the USA," he added.
The remarks came during meeting between President Trump and PM Modi, with discussions expected to focus on trade, energy cooperation, regional security and broader geopolitical issues.
