india

Updated: Jul 02, 2020 21:48 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the US President Donald Trump to the ‘Howdy, Modi!’ event at Houston in a warm and lengthy introduction on Sunday morning. The Prime Minister described the US President as a great friend of India who he admired for his sense of leadership and passion for America.

The Prime Minister said Trump needed no introduction as his name was familiar to every person on the planet and came up every time global politics was discussed.

“From Studios to global stage, from politics to economy to security, he has left a deep and lasting impact everywhere, today he is here with us, it is my honour and privilege to welcome him here in this magnificent stadium and gathering,” PM Modi said.

Watch | #HowdyModi: 400 artistes, nearly 50,000 people at festive Houston event

PM revealed that Trump had told him that “India has a true friend in White House” when he met him for the first time. He added that he always found Trump to be the same warm and friendly person.

“We have met a few times, and every time he has been the same warm, friendly, energetic and accessible,” said the Indian PM

The US President was welcomed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster upon his arrival at the Houston football stadium hosting the diaspora event. PM Modi then went on to welcome him inside the stadium, before which the two leaders posed for photographs. The Indian drummers kept up a continuous beat to the arrival of the two leaders.

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Earlier, after his Air Force One landed at the Ellington Air Force Base, Trump told reporters: “I’m very close to the folks from India, I love India, and I have a lot of respect and a great friendship with the PM of India.”

“The Prime Minister of India has asked me to make a speech and I will make a speech in a stadium loaded up with something like 70,000 people or whatever the maximum is. So we’re going to have a lot, the Prime Minister and I,” he was quoted as saying by the news agency IANS.

The agency also quoted Trump praising PM Modi as “a highly respected man.”

“He recently won the elections by a record margin. He is very popular. I have a lot of respect to the great friendship with Prime Minister. PM Modi has done great job. And he’s been very good to us,” Trump told reporters.

Prime Minister Modi returned the compliments and said “I admire him (Trump) also for his sense of leadership and passion for America, a concern for every American and a belief in American future and a strong resolve to make America great again, Modi said”

Prime Minister went on to say that Trump, who had already made the American economy “strong again”, had achieved “much for the United States and for the world.”

In an endorsement of Donald Trump, PM Modi said, “We in India have connected well with President Trump, the words of candidate Trump, ‘Ab ki baar Trump sarkar’, rang loud and clear.”

Trump who took the stage after the PM’s introduction described PM Modi as America’s greatest, most loyal friend and added that he was doing “exceptional job for India.”