ANKARA

US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have discussed trade issues, along with others, in a phone conversation.

“Thank you, President Trump, for your phone call and warm Diwali greetings,” Modi said Wednesday on US social media company X.

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, was celebrated across the South Asian country on Monday.

“On this festival of lights, may our two great democracies continue to illuminate the world with hope and stand united against terrorism in all its forms,” Modi added.

Trump said he “had a great conversation,” and the two sides also talked about trade.

“We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade,” he said in the Oval Office.

"He (Modi) is not going to buy much oil from Russia. He wants to see that (Russia-Ukraine) war end as much as I do,” he added.

​​​​​​​India has increased its purchases of discounted Russian crude oil since 2022, becoming one of Moscow’s top energy customers despite Western sanctions.

Turning to South Asia, Trump said: “I think the fact that trade was involved, I was able to talk about that — and we have no war with Pakistan and India, and that was a very, very good thing."

The two nuclear-armed South Asian nations, Pakistan and India, engaged in four-day skirmishes early this year in May, which ended in a ceasefire, announced by Trump on May 10.