Watch: Donald Trump praises good friend PM Modi in Egypt, gestures to Shehbaz Sharif behind him

US President Donald Trump on Monday said that India and Pakistan would “live very nicely together,” as he turned to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif standing behind him at the Gaza summit, drawing a chuckle from the visiting leader.

“India is a great country with a very good friend of mine at the top,” Trump said, smiling at the cameras. “And he’s done a fantastic job. I think that Pakistan and India are going to live very nicely together.”

Trump, co-hosting the Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, praised Pakistan’s military leadership and said regional peace “depends on good friends doing good things.” Gesturing toward Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who was standing behind him, Trump quipped, “He’s going to help make that happen, right?”

The US president also invited the Pakistani PM to address the summit. In his speech, Shehbaz Sharif credited Trump for preventing nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. “Had it not been for this gentleman, who knows — India and Pakistan are both nuclear powers — had he not intervened with his wonderful team during those four days, the war could’ve escalated to a level where no one would have lived to tell what happened,” he said.

Earlier, Trump did not stop short of taking credit for preventing a war between India and Pakistan for the umpteenth time. He cited it as one of the eight conflicts he had resolved, while concluding his speech at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.

KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH MEETS TRUMP AT GAZA PEACE SUMMIT

India, meanwhile, marked its own presence at the summit through Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, the first Indian minister to officially meet Trump since Operation Sindoor. He attended as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special envoy.

In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India “welcomes the signing of the landmark peace agreement and hopes this will lead to lasting peace in the region.”

The statement reaffirmed India’s “longstanding commitment to dialogue and diplomacy” and its consistent backing for a two-state solution.

“India stands for peace in the Middle East and supports the Gaza peace plan of President Trump,” the MEA added, noting appreciation for Egypt and Qatar in mediating the accord.

PM MODI PRAISES TRUMP’S PEACE EFFORTS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised US President Donald Trump for his unwavering peace efforts in brokering the Gaza ceasefire deal. In a post on X, the Prime Minister also welcomed the return of the last 20 surviving hostages, who had been held captive by Hamas for over two years and were freed earlier today as part of the first phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, finally returning home to Israel.

“We welcome the release of all hostages after over two years of captivity. Their freedom stands as a tribute to the courage of their families, the unwavering peace efforts of President Trump and the strong resolve of Prime Minister Netanyahu. We support President Trump’s sincere efforts to bring peace to the region,” PM Modi wrote.

The US President signed a landmark document along with global leaders formalising the Gaza ceasefire agreement during a global peace summit in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh. The summit, attended by leaders from across the Arab and Muslim world, marked what Trump called as a “new and beautiful day” for the Middle East following two years of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.

– Ends

With inputs from agencies

Tune In