External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday spoke about the robust relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump, saying "only nationalists respect each other like this".

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very strong nationalist, and he (Donald Trump) sort of radiates that. Now, Trump is an American nationalist, and I think, in many ways, nationalists kind of respect each other," Jaishankar said while speaking at the Delhi University Literature Festival.

Jaishankar also highlighted that PM Modi was among the earliest world leaders invited by Trump in his second term. "The Prime Minister was in the US and Washington. He was among the earliest world leaders to be invited by President Trump in his second term to meet with him," he said.

Sharing his diplomatic experience, Jaishankar assessed PM Modi and Donald Trump's recent meeting at the White House positively. "I've been doing this all my life, so I have some reference points and some experience as a comparative assessment. I would say with all objectivity, I thought it went very well and for a variety of reasons," he said.

The External Affairs Minister also pointed out the positive chemistry between PM Modi and Trump. "Trump being somewhat unusual, there are a lot of other leaders in the world with whom he has not necessarily a positive history, and in the case of Modi ji, it's not the case," Jaishankar added.

During their White House meeting earlier this month, PM Modi and Donald Trump exchanged warm greetings, including embraces, while reaffirming their mutual admiration.

Their bilateral discussions covered key topics such as trade, counterterrorism, and defense cooperation. At a press briefing following the meeting, Trump, who frequently lauds PM Modi's leadership, commended his negotiation acumen and statesmanship.

Source: India Today