Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], Feb 24 : 'Long live our friendship,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the bilateral partnership between India and the United States, adding that US President Donald Trump's two-day visit at the beginning of a decade is 'a very big opportunity.'
Sharing the stage with Trump at the 'Namaste Trump' event here, the Prime Minister said, "America is India's largest trading partner. Our bilateral partnership will deepen, our strategic relationship will enhance. Long live our friendship."
"And therefore, I believe that President Trump coming to India at the beginning of this decade is a very big opportunity," he added.
The Prime Minister said that today, 130 crore Indians are jointly building New India. "Our youthful strength is full of aspirations. Setting big goals, achieving them is becoming the hallmark of New India today," he said.
"In the 21st century, new alignments, new competition, new challenges, and new opportunities are laying the foundation for change. The relationship and cooperation of India and America will have an important role in setting the direction of the 21st-century world," he stressed further.
He said that India, today, does not only have the largest cricket stadium in the world, the country is also running the world's largest health assurance scheme.
India is not only maintaining the world record of sending the largest number of satellites simultaneously, instead, it is also creating the world record by doing the fastest financial inclusion. Today, the country with which Indian armies are practicing the most war - that is America, the Prime Minister noted.
"We can make an effective contribution not only in the Indo-Pacific Region, but in the peace, progress and security of the whole world," he noted.
The bonhomie between the two world leaders was displayed once again when Modi hugged Trump at the stadium.
The 'Namaste Trump' event is based on the lines of the 'Howdy Modi' programme that was addressed by Narendra Modi and Trump during the Prime Minister's trip to Houston last September.
Around one lakh people gathered for the event. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat CM Vijay Rup, Governor Acharya Devvrat and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly were also present at the stadium.
Prior to this, Trump and Mela also paid a short stopover at Sabarmati Ashram and spun a Charkha, which is closely associated with India's freedom struggle and Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
The dignitaries also had a look at the three monkeys of Mahatma Gandhi depicting moral gestures -- see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no evil -- at the ashram.
Trump, who arrived here a short while ago, was welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Ahmedabad Airport with a hug.
In the evening, the US President will depart for Agra to catch a glimpse of the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, before sunset with his wife.
( With inputs from ANI )