PM Narendra Modi Replies To US President Donald Trump, Says Times Like These Bring Friends Closer

In response to US President Donald Trump's tweet, where he called Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'a great leader', PM Modi said that times like these bring friends closer. PM Modi also told President Trump that India will fight Covid-19 menace together with US. He took to Twitter and wrote, "Fully agree with you President DonaldTrump. Times like these bring friends closer. The India-US partnership is stronger than ever. India shall do everything possible to help humanity's fight against COVID-19. We shall win this together."

Fully agree with you President @realDonaldTrump. Times like these bring friends closer. The India-US partnership is stronger than ever.

India shall do everything possible to help humanity's fight against COVID-19.

We shall win this together. https://t.co/0U2xsZNexE

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 9, 2020

Earlier, Donald Trump had showered praises on PM Modi and the Indian people on Twitter, in response to Indian government’s decision to ease restrictions on export of hydroxychloroquine.  "Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister @NarendraModi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight!" the US President had said in his tweet.

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Donald Trump, on Saturday, had asked PM Modi to lift the hold on American order of the anti-malarial drug, of which India is the major producer.

By Wednesday night, more than 14,600 Americans had lost their lives due to coronavirus and over 4.3 lakhs have tested positive for the dreaded disease. Scientists and the medical fraternity are racing against time to find a vaccine and a therapeutic solution to it. Hydroxychloroquine has been identified by the US Food and Drug Administration as a possible treatment for the COVID-19 and it is being tested on more than 1,500 coronavirus patients in New York.

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Anticipating that it will work, given initial positive results, Trump has bought more than 30 million doses of Hydroxychloroquine for potential treatment of COVID-19 patients. Trump, in a phone call last week, had requested Prime Minister Modi to release the hold on American order of the malaria drug, of which India is the major producer. India lifted the hold on Tuesday. India on Monday agreed to lift the ban on export of Hydroxychloroquine to the US.

Three Gujarat-based companies would export these tablets to the US, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said on Tuesday. India manufactures 70 per cent of the world's supply of Hydroxychloroquine, according to Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA) secretary-general Sudarshan Jain.