The message, “Mr Prime Minister, you are great”, on the photograph is written and signed by the US President himself.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Ambassador-designate of the United States to India, Sergio Gor, and said he was confident that India-US ties would further strengthen during his tenure.
During the meeting with the Prime Minister, the Ambassador-designate gifted a framed photograph of US President Donald Trump and PM Modi carrying the former’s message, “Mr Prime Minister, you are great”, on it. The message is written and signed by the US President himself.
Glad to receive Mr. 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.@SergioGor pic.twitter.com/WSzsPxrJXv
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 11, 2025
Following the meeting, Gor said the US greatly values its relationship with India. “The US values its relationship with India, and under the strong leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Modi, I’m optimistic about the days ahead for both of our nations,” he said.
Gor is appointed as the American Ambassador to India after confirmation by the US Senate.
Modi-Trump Bonhomie Amid Tariff Row
The two leaders have managed to preserve a personal connection between them despite the relationship between the two countries having worsened to a two-decade low because of the massive trade tariffs Trump imposed on India.
While Trump and his aides have accused India of funding Moscow’s war machine by buying Russian oil, the President has refrained from making adverse remarks about PM Modi. On the contrary, he has repeatedly highlighted his “friendship” with the Indian leader, even as tariff tensions escalated.
Trump levied 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian shipments, along with an additional 25% tariff for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on India to 50%. India had strongly condemned the move as “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” saying that imports are governed by market dynamics and are undertaken with the overarching goal of ensuring the energy security of 1.4 billion Indian citizens.
Despite the tariff tensions, the two leaders held conversations over global wars and trade.
Earlier this week, PM Modi spoke with Trump to discuss ongoing trade negotiations and congratulate him on the successful Gaza peace deal. In a post on X, he had said that both leaders reviewed progress on bilateral trade talks and agreed to remain in close contact in the coming weeks.
Prior to this, Trump praised PM Modi on his birthday on September 17, calling him a “friend” and lauding his leadership as “tremendous.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump had said, “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.”
The US President had also thanked PM Modi for backing his efforts to end the Russia–Ukraine war, adding, “Narendra: Thank you for your support on ending the War between Russia and Ukraine!”
Before this, Trump had expressed confidence that the two sides would have “no difficulty” in reaching a deal. In a post on Truth Social, Trump had praised PM Modi’s leadership and thanked him for supporting peace efforts in Ukraine. PM Modi had also called the United States a “close friend” and a “natural partner” of India.
In the start of September, Trump lambasted after PM Modi’s meetings with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping in Tianjin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). He had said, “We’ve lost India and Russia to China.” PM Modi had traveled to China for the first time in seven years to attend the SCO Summit.
