India, Sept. 6 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appreciated and reciprocated US President Donald Trump's "positive assessment" of bilateral ties after the American leader said he would "always be friends" with Modi and pointed to a "special relationship" between the two countries.

Modi took to social media to respond to Trump's comments during a news conference at the White House hours earlier, marking the first positive exchange between the two leaders since they last spoke on the telephone on June 17. The tenor of the exchange was different from the criticism that Trump and his senior aides have directed against India and its leadership in recent weeks, largely over New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil.

"Deeply appreciate a...