Washington, Oct 16 (NationPress) US President Donald Trump has labeled Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "great man" and referred to India as an "incredible country". He expressed his willingness to meet with the Prime Minister during the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Malaysia.

During a press briefing at the White House, when inquired about a possible encounter with the Prime Minister in Malaysia, Trump stated, "Yeah, sure, he's a friend of mine. We have a great relationship."

He further commented, "He's a great man. He loves Trump. I have watched India for years. It's an incredible country, and every single year you'd have a new leader. I mean, some would be in there for a few months, and this was year after year after year. My friend has been there now for a long time."

Trump asserted that he has been "assured" that India would cease purchasing oil from Russia, while acknowledging that this change cannot occur "immediately". However, India has yet to officially respond to this assertion.

He noted, "He assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia... You can't do it immediately. It's a little bit of a process, but the process is going to be over with soon, and all we want from President Putin... is to stop this."

Trump emphasized that if India halts its oil purchases from Russia, it would make it "much easier" to conclude the ongoing conflict.

He added, "Within a short period of time, they will not be buying oil from Russia, and they'll go back to Russia after the war's over."

Trump conveyed that he would also exert pressure on China "to do the same thing."

While India has recently increased its purchases of Russian oil, China remains the largest energy buyer from Moscow.

The Trump administration imposed an additional 25 percent tariffs on India in August for its Russian oil purchases while taking no measures against China.

Trump also praised the new US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor, who was present in the Oval Office, stating he would do a "great job".

"We have the new ambassador to India right here. They're well represented. You better represent us, not them, okay? But Sergio is going to do a great job. He's going to do a great job," he noted.

Trump's comments come as India's trade negotiating team is currently in Washington for further discussions with US officials, with India's chief negotiator Rajesh Agrawal expected to arrive late Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Commerce Ministry announced that India could import additional crude oil and natural gas valued at $12-$13 billion from the US without altering refinery configurations. The government is eager to diversify its energy import portfolio, provided there is availability at the "right price".

Trade negotiations in Washington are resuming shortly after Gor met with PM Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi.

Gor also engaged with Agrawal and shared on X, "During my visit to India, I met with Commerce Secretary Agrawal and discussed US-India economic ties, including increased investment in the United States."