U.S. President Donald Trump often speaks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and trade teams from both countries continue to hold serious discussions, the White House said on Tuesday. “I know the President has great respect for Prime Minister Modi, and they speak quite frequently,” White House Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters when asked about the state of the U.S.-India relationship.

Leavitt said both sides remain in very serious discussions on trade and economic cooperation—a sign that negotiations between the two countries continue to move forward.

“The President and his trade team continue to be in very serious discussions with India with respect to that topic,” she added. Leavitt noted that Trump recently spoke with Modi during Diwali celebrations at the Oval Office, where the President was also joined by senior Indian-American officials.

“The President is positive and feels very strongly about the India-U.S. relationship,” she said, adding that Washington’s ambassador in New Delhi, Sergio Gor, is doing a great job.

Trump from South Korea

Trump said last week in South Korea that he hoped to reach a new trade deal with India, signaling a thaw in relations that had fallen to their lowest point in decades after Washington doubled tariffs on Indian imports to 50% in response to New Delhi’s purchase of Russian oil.

The United States first imposed a 25% tariff on Indian goods on July 30, followed a week later by an additional 25%, citing New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

Following fresh U.S. sanctions on Moscow’s top crude exporters, Rosneft and Lukoil, Indian refiners have since reduced their imports of Russian oil.