Trump thanks Modi

U.S. President Donald Trump has praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allowing export of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to help America fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I want to thank Prime Minister Modi of India for allowing us to have what we requested from before the problem arose and he was terrific,” Trump said at his nationally televised news briefing on Wednesday.

“We will remember it,” he added.

Trump further called Modi “terrific”.

Earlier Trump had tweeted: “Extraordinary times require even closer cooperation between friends. Thank you India and the Indian people for the decision on HCQ. Will not be forgotten! Thank you Prime Minister Narendra Modi for your strong leadership in helping not just India, but humanity, in this fight.”

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Despite a media campaign against use of HCQ, Trump has advocated trying it as a therapy against COVID-19.

Trump stood his ground as the number of cases in the US raced towards the half-million mark.

By Wednesday night over 31,503 cases were reported.

This took the U.S. tally of confirmed coronavirus cases to world record 431,838.