Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held their first conversation on Monday since Trump began his second term in office. The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral relations between India and the United States during their phone call.

In a post on X, PM Modi expressed his pleasure at speaking with “my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump @POTUS” and congratulated him on his historic second term. “We are committed to a mutually beneficial and trusted partnership,” Modi wrote, adding, “We will work together for the welfare of our people and towards global peace, prosperity, and security.”

The two leaders had previously spoken after Trump’s victory in the November 7 presidential election, during which Trump praised Modi as a “magnificent man” and remarked that the world admired him. Trump also referred to India as a “magnificent country” and reaffirmed his friendship with both PM Modi and the nation of India. According to sources, both leaders agreed to collaborate for the betterment of world peace.

Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, in a ceremony that was moved indoors for the first time in 40 years due to freezing temperatures.

In a notable gesture, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended Trump’s inauguration on behalf of the Indian government, carrying a letter from Prime Minister Modi to the newly sworn-in president.