White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised India’s role as a strategic ally in the Indo-Pacific region during a press briefing on Monday (US local time). She also highlighted the strong personal relationship between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Responding to a question from ANI about how the US views China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region, Leavitt said, “India remains a very strategic ally in the Asia Pacific and the President has a very good relationship with Prime Minister Modi, and he will continue to have that.”

The comments come as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is currently in the United States to attend the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. On Monday, he inaugurated an exhibition at the United Nations titled “The Human Cost of Terrorism,” which aims to draw global attention to state-sponsored terrorism.

The QUAD is a diplomatic partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. It is committed to supporting an open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.

The grouping’s origin traces back to the joint humanitarian response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Earlier, on June 18, it was confirmed that US President Donald Trump accepted Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to attend the upcoming QUAD Summit in New Delhi later this year. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had shared details of the phone conversation that took place between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Canada.

“For the next meeting of QUAD, PM Modi invited President Trump to India. While accepting the invitation, President Trump said that he is excited to come to India,” Misri said in a video message. The White House spokesperson’s remarks on India’s importance in the Indo-Pacific came shortly after she addressed another ANI question about a possible trade deal between India and the US. Addressing the media, Leavitt said, “Yes, the President said that last week (that the US and India are very close to a trade deal), and it remains true. I just spoke to our Secretary of Commerce about it. He was in the Oval Office with the President. They are finalising these agreements, and you’ll hear from the President and his trade team very soon when it comes to India.”