He was great: Donald Trump praises Modi after India agrees to Hydroxychloroquine export

In an interview with Fox News, Trump said as quoted by media, "I bought millions of doses. More than 29 million. I spoke to PM Modi, a lot of it comes out of India. I asked him if he would release it? He was Great. He was really good.

You know they put a stop because they wanted it for India. But there is a lot of good things coming from that."

India has been treating its several COVID-19 patients with Hydroxychloroquine as a "potential" anti-Coronavirus drug though no scientific research has backed the treatment yet.

After Trump issued the warning, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said in a statement, "Given the enormity of the COVID19 pandemic, India has always maintained that the international community must display strong solidarity and cooperation."

"This approach also guided our evacuation of nationals of other countries," he said.

Speaking on supplying drugs, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and HCQ in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities."

"We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic," he said.

"With regard to paracetamol and Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), they will be kept in a licensed category and their demand position would be continuously monitored. However, the stock position could allow our companies to meet the export commitments that they had contracted," read the statement.

Earlier on Sunday, Trump during a conversation with Modi urged New Delhi to export Hydrooxychloroquine.

After he had learnt about the news that India might not export the drug, Trump, who calls Modi a "friend", in his latest statement said, "I don't like that decision, I didn't hear that was his decision. I know that he stopped it for other countries. I spoke to him yesterday, we had a very good talk and we'll see whether or not that's his."

"I spoke to him Sunday morning, called him, and I said, we'd appreciate you allowing our supply to come out. If he doesn't allow it to come out. That would be OK. But of course, there may be retaliation. Why wouldn't there be," he told a news briefing on Monday. 

Though China's Wuhan was the epicentre of COVID-19, the US at present is rattled by the pandemic virus with almost 400,000 people nationwide infected while the toll has surpassed 12,000.

Though the situation is better in India as compared to the western world with little over 5,000 positive patients, the experts have warned that the poor health system of the country could get overwhelmed if the figure swells greatly.