More power to India-US friendship: Modi thanks Trump for ventilators

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (May 16) hailed the India-US friendship while thanking US President Donald Trump for announcing that his country will donate ventilators to India amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his tweet in response to the US President, the prime minister further stressed on the need for nations to work together during this time of crisis.

Thank you @POTUS @realDonaldTrump.

This pandemic is being fought collectively by all of us. In such times, it’s always important for nations to work together and do as much as possible to make our world healthier and free from COVID-19.

More power to ?? – ?? friendship! https://t.co/GRrgWFhYzR

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 16, 2020

“Thank you @POTUS @realDonaldTrump. This pandemic is being fought collectively by all of us. In such times, it’s always important for nations to work together and do as much as possible to make our world healthier and free from COVID-19. More power to (Flag of India) – (Flag of United States) friendship!” Modi tweeted.

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Earlier, Trump had announced the US will donate ventilators to India, moments after he underlined the close partnership between the two nations and called Prime Minister Modi his “good friend”.

“I am proud to announce that the United States will donate ventilators to our friends in India. We stand with India and @narendramodi during this pandemic. We’re also cooperating on vaccine development. Together we will beat the invisible enemy!” the US President had tweeted.

“We are sending a lot of ventilators to India. I spoke to Prime Minister Modi. We are sending quite a few ventilators to India. We have tremendous supply of ventilators,” Trump told reporters before boarding Marine One on his way to Camp David.

At Trump’s request, India had last month allowed the export of 50 million hydroxychloroquine tablets to treat COVID-19 patients in America. Meanwhile, the US President had praised Prime Minister Modi on Friday, while referring to his visit to India in February.

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“India has been so great and as you know your prime minister has been a very good friend of mine. I just got back a short while ago from India and we are very much together,” the President said, referring to the February visit.

Trump had further said the US and India are cooperating to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. “Together we will beat the invisible enemy! We stand with India and Prime Minister Modi during this pandemic,” Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House.

India’s tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases stand at 85,940, including 2,752 deaths, as on Friday.

(With inputs from agencies)