NEW DELHI: (Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday “deeply” appreciated US President Donald Trump’s “positive assessment” of the India-US partnership after the American leader hailed the “special” relationship between the two nations — remarks seen as an attempt to check the downturn in the ties.

The prime minister’s comments on social media came hours after Trump said at a news conference in the White House that he will always be “friends with Modi” but added without elaborating that he didn’t like what the Indian leader was doing at this “particular moment”.

“Deeply appreciate and fully reciprocate President Trump’s sentiments and positive assessment of our ties,” Modi said.