Mumbai

As US President Donald Trump announced that the US was willing to sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to India, Anand Paranjpe, a senior leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar on Friday expressed strong support for the move, calling it a significant step forward for India's ties with America.

Speaking to IANS, Paranjpe said, "The agreements between the Indian government and the United States will undoubtedly benefit India immensely.

"We are confident that the relationship between India and US will continue to grow. Both nations will collaborate closely on multiple fronts, from Defence, atomic reactors to technology, and beyond."

Paranjpe further reacted on another major development during the India-US talks – the decision to extradite Tahawwur Rana, a key suspect in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, to India. The extradition was confirmed by President Trump shortly after his discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"This is a monumental success for the Indian government," Paranjpe remarked.

"Bringing back the main accused of the 26/11 terrorist attacks to face justice in India is a massive victory, especially for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the NDA government.

"When President Trump and Prime Minister Modi met, they praised each other’s leadership efforts toward global peace. Trump even acknowledged PM Modi's negotiation skills, saying that the Prime Minister is a 'better negotiator' than he is. This recognition of India’s diplomatic success on the world stage is a proud moment for all of us," he said.

He went on to highlight the broader global concerns discussed during the bilateral talks.

"The two leaders also addressed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, stressing the urgent need for peace. Prime Minister Modi strongly urged President Trump to take decisive steps toward ending the conflict, emphasising the importance of global stability."

Prime Minister Modi recently concluded his high-level visit to the United States, where he held extensive talks with President Trump on a wide array of issues including trade, Defence, security, energy, and people-to-people ties.

The visit marked the first in-person talks between the two leaders since Trump began his second term as US President.

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During their discussions, both leaders expressed a commitment to significantly strengthening strategic ties between India and the US, particularly in critical areas such as Defence cooperation, energy, and cutting-edge technology.

The bilateral talks also covered regional and international developments of mutual interest, underscoring the shared goals of both nations in ensuring global peace and security.