The telephone conversation on March 24 of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump was between them only, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday, dismissing reports that billionaire Elon Musk joined the phone call.. L: PM Modi and US President Donald Trump | R: Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Bloomberg and Reuters). Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump that took place on Tuesday, The New York Times reported on Friday. Track latest in US-Iran war here. According to the NYT, Musk’s involvement in the call marks an unusual instance of a private citizen participating in a conversation between two heads of state amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.. Giving a clarification on the report, a spokesperson of the MEA said, “We have seen the story. The telephone conversation on 24 March was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only,” news agency ANI reported.. “As has been stated earlier, it provided the opportunity for exchange of views on the situation in West Asia,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.. Amid intensifying global efforts to secure vital energy corridors, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with US President Trump on Tuesday to discuss the prevailing conflict in West Asia.. PM Modi said he discussed the importance of the opening of key waterway Strait of Hormuz.. “Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia. India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability,” PM Modi stated in his post.. According to the NYT, it remains unclear why Elon Musk participated in the call or whether he actively spoke.. Meanwhile, the US embassy in India shared a surprise praise message by Donald Trump on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I are two people that get things done, the message by US President Donald Trump stated, adding that this is something that “cannot be said for most”.. “Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that get things done, something that cannot be said for most,” the US Embassy in India shared on X a message by President Donald Trump.. The shoutout for India-US relations came amid the Middle East conflict that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
