NEW DELHI: Former diplomat and Rajya Sabha member Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Saturday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's standing on the global front is that of a "Vishwamitra" and India follows the approach of "Vishwabandhu" under his leadership.
He also said that India maintains independent relations with all the nations, stating that the friendship between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump can help deal with the tariff negotiations between the two nations.
In an interview with IANS, he also talked about the recent remarks made by the US President in praise of PM Modi, India's relations with major global powers, and India's image on the international front under PM Modi's leadership.
The following are excerpts from the interview:
IANS: US President Donald Trump has praised PM Modi, calling him "the great Prime Minister". PM Modi has also thanked Trump for it. What is your take on this?
Harsh Shringla: I have always said that the relationship between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump is a very good and strong one. This has been well established for a long time.
One may recall the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston, where 50, 000 Indian-Americans attended, and later, when President Trump visited India, a massive event called 'Namaste Trump' was organised in Ahmedabad, where around 1 lakh people arrived to welcome the American President. Both events highlighted the strength of this bond.
Even amidst tariff tensions, Trump described PM Modi as a great Prime Minister and addressed him as a friend. Whatever has happened with the tariff issue, the personal connection between PM Modi and President Trump has not changed. This will become very important in the tariff negotiations in future to find a way to deal with the issues in a positive way.