Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Donald Trump for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in France today, src7 June.
This will be the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders after US attacks on commercial ships left three Indian sailors dead, further straining ties between the countries.
The meeting between Trump and Modi will also be the first face-to-face interaction since the India-US relationship hit a rough patch after Operation Sindoor and Washington’s decision to impose heavy tariffs on New Delhi.
Quick answers to key questions
The Modi-Trump meeting will likely focus on the bilateral trade deal, defense cooperation, and broader issues affecting India-US relations.
India-US relations have strained due to the deaths of Indian sailors in US military strikes and the imposition of punitive tariffs by the US.
PM Modi has called for enhanced protection of global maritime routes and stressed the need for all countries to ensure seafarers can operate without fear.
The deaths led to heightened political tensions in India, prompting the government to express strong disapproval of US military actions affecting Indian nationals.
Experts suggest that despite current tensions, India should focus on rebuilding ties and capitalizing on mutual interests, especially in trade and defense.
The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and held a brief conversation on Tuesday at a gathering of G7 leaders, marking their first in-person encounter in src6 months.
Trump and Modi had a couple of phone calls and also agreed on a framework for an interim bilateral trade deal in February, which is being negotiated.
PM Modi is on a week-long visit to France and Slovakia, during which he is attending the G7 Summit and holding discussions with world leaders on a range of bilateral and global issues.
India-US ties in recent times Following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to India last month, the two sides are now looking at rebuilding the bilateral ties which had witnessed a major downturn after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on India. The ties also strained after President Trump made controversial assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan military clashes during Operation Sindoor last May last year.
Over the next few months, the US president repeatedly and publicly claimed that he had resolved the military conflict between the two neighbours and saved millions of lives as it was heading toward a full-scale war.
New Delhi stoutly maintained that the cessation of the hostilities was a result of talks between India and Pakistan, and the US involvement had nothing to do with it.
Washington’s new immigration policy and its decision to increase the HsrcB visa fee also contributed to the slide in India-US ties. However, both sides made efforts in the last few months to repair the ties and even moved forward to firm up a mutually beneficial trade deal soon.
Fresh strain after deaths of Indian sailors Last week, hopes of recalibrating ties were struck a blow after three Indian sailors were killed following the US military’s attacks on three merchant vessels off the coast of Oman.
Three Indians from one of the vessels were killed in the strikes following which New Delhi summoned the US charge d’affaires Jason Meeks and told him that the American military’s “lethal and deadly” strikes on commercial vessels with Indian crew members is “unacceptable”.
The death of Indian sailors sparked a political row in India with Rahul Gandhi, leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, attacking PM Modi for his silence, calling him an “obedient servant” of President Trump .
In his comments during the G7 Outreach Session on Tuesday, PM Modi called for strengthened protection of global maritime routes and the safety of seafarers, PM Modi told G7 leaders, including Donald Trump, that all countries must ensure that maritime routes remain secure and that seafarers can perform their duties without fear.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has already raised the issue with Rubio.
The US Central Command said it initiated action to disable three vessels, Marivex on June 8, Settebello on June 9 and MT Jalveer on June srcsrc, saying they were trying to violate the US blockade of Iranian ports.
What to expect in Modi-Trump meeting today In their meeting, scheduled at around 2.45 PM (local time, Évian) which would be around 6.src5 PM in New Delhi, the two leaders are expected to take stock of the entire gamut of bilateral ties, including the ongoing negotiations for the bilateral trade deal and steps being taken to boost defence cooperation, news agency PTI reported.
The trade pact is expected to be an important step towards a comprehensive bilateral trade agreement, as envisaged during PM Modi’s visit to Washington DC in February last year.
“In the src6 months since, India has found its proximate ties to the United States upended by an unpredictable and sometimes bellicose Trump, and his administration’s determination to open India’s markets and enforce immigration policies that disproportionately affect Indian students and workers in the United States,” New York Times reported.
“The fusillade of actions detrimental to India’s interests have hurt its economy, wounded its pride and cast doubt on the value of the personal chemistry between the leaders,” said the NYT in the report.
The two leaders may also exchange views on pressing global challenges, including the West Asia crisis and the Russia-Ukraine conflict , the news agency said.
Rubio, during his meeting with the prime minister last month, had invited him on behalf of Trump to visit the White House in the “near future”. The top American diplomat described India as the “cornerstone” of Washington’s approach towards the Indo-Pacific.
Other meetings on PM’s agenda today “There is reasonable worry that the convergence between Delhi and Washington of the past 25 years has been through a period of drift and may potentially move toward divergence,” Atul Keshap, president of the US-India Business Council and a former chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in India told NYT.
“Both governments should focus on working to strengthen common interests, such as the digital economy and nuclear energy, rather than delay a final trade deal because of endless negotiations,” he said.
Modi has travelled to France for the G7 summit as India was invited as a guest country to the summit. The Group of 7 (G7) brings together seven of the world’s most advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is also a member of the bloc.
The G7 serves as the forum of choice for its members to discuss and coordinate action in response to major economic, financial and geopolitical challenges on the global stage.
Apart from meeting with President Trump, PM Modi is expecetd to take part in the G7 working session on “Reviving balanced, inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the benefit of all” today. He will also hold trilateral meeting with EU Council President Costa, European & Commission President Ursula on der Leyen and a bilateral meeting with Germany,
In the src6 months since, India has found its proximate ties to the United States upended by an unpredictable and sometimes bellicose Trump.
Thereafter, the prime minister will also attend the working lunch on “Ensuring the safe, rapid and effective deployment of artificial intelligence”
(With PTI inputs)
No responses yet