ET World Leaders Forum: PM Modi stood by president Trump in tough times, says US ambassador Sergio Gor

The personal friendship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump has emerged as a key anchor of the India-US relationship, with US ambassador Sergio Gor saying Trump remembers that Modi stood by him during the four years he was out of office.

Speaking at The Economic Times World Leaders Forum, Gor highlighted the trust between the two leaders while acknowledging that, like family members, they do not agree on everything. He also underlined the depth of the bilateral relationship, pointing to growing trade, closer defence and energy ties, deeper cooperation in space and the US push for more frequent high-level political engagement with India.

Gor said Trump remembers that Modi supported him during his four years out of office.


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"When the president was out, it was four years, and I was with them down in Florida. A lot of people from around the world criticised the president. India did not. Prime Minister Modi did not. And that's something the president remembers. So he (Trump) holds that friendship in a very special place. When you're up, when you're in the Oval Office, everybody wants to be your friend. But when you're out, that's when you can really realise who your friends are."

"So he (Trump) holds that friendship in a very special place. When you're up, when you're in the Oval Office, everybody wants to be your friend. But when you're out, that's when you can really realise who your friends are."

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President Trump holds that friendship in a very special place, he said. "It doesn't mean they agree on everything 100% of the times, right? Anyone here in our own family, you're going to have some disagreements, and sometimes with our family, we're much more honest with each other than publicly. But that relationship is anchored on that trust and on that friendship."

Gor also highlighted growing India-US cooperation in space, saying the two countries were working together on future Moon missions. "Two weeks ago, we had a team from Nasa here, and we invited Isro to join us in our future going back to the moon missions. We can invite other countries, but it doesn't mean they can get there. India can actually get there."

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He said the depth of cooperation extended across sectors including aviation, military, pharmaceuticals and energy.

"And so, pick any sector: aviation, military, pharma, energy. US are working hand in hand. You can't say that about a lot of other countries in the world. The infrastructure is not there. The talent is not there. So, we have so much going for this relationship.

I had another US ambassador call me recently from another country and he's been there almost the exact same time that I've been here (in India). And he said to me, 'I'm bored'. I said, 'You're bored'. I said, 'I don't have enough hours in my day', but that's the dynamic relationship that we have here. It doesn't exist everywhere in the world. I can see how some of our ambassadors might not have 10% of what is happening here, and so to me, that's extremely gratifying." Gor said US ties with China and Pakistan would not come at the expense of its relationship with India. "Our relationship with China is our relationship with China. And that's our bilateral relationship. We want to get along with everyone around the world, as does India. For us, we do have an economic relationship with China, and so we hope to build on that. For us, we have bilateral relationships with everyone around the world, and the reality is whether we like it or not, we have to work with the governments that are there. Yes, the president has engaged with everyone around the world, including some of your neighbours here.

Gor described the Quad as "vitally important", saying the four-member grouping was on track for five ministerial-level meetings this year after holding none last year. "The Quad is vitally important. Last year, at the ministerial level, we had zero meetings. This year, we're on track to have five. The reason the Quad exists is those are trusted partners.

I don't care what's on top of a letterhead. Look at where the commitment is and look at what the US is investing and what it is prioritising. Whether that's enhanced naval security exercises, whether that's investing in ports in the Pacific, the reality is those four countries in the Quad are vitally important to each other." "Just go by the numbers. 15 years ago, our bilateral trade was $20 billion. Today, it's $240 billion. That's not an accident, and it's continuing to grow. The two leaders set an ambitious goal of $500 billion, and then in the next few years, we're on our way to getting there. The relationship is as strong as it's ever been, in spite of what the media might tell you," Gor said.

He spoke about working to bring US universities such as Harvard, New York University (NYU) to India, citing strong demand and interest from institutions.