Evian (France), June 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian, marking their first in-person engagement in over 16 months. The meeting signalled a renewed push to stabilise and recalibrate India–US ties amid ongoing global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
The interaction began with a cordial handshake during the G7 outreach session on Tuesday and progressed into detailed bilateral discussions on Wednesday. President Trump reportedly described PM Modi as “calm and cool,” reflecting a notably warm tone at the start of the engagement.
According to officials, the discussions centred heavily on advancing the proposed India–US trade agreement, which is now in its final stages after sustained negotiations. Both sides are expected to work towards concluding the pact in the coming weeks, following an interim understanding reached earlier in February after a year-long negotiation process.
Beyond trade, the leaders also reviewed developments in West Asia and the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for oil and gas supplies. Energy cooperation featured prominently, with both countries exploring long-term partnerships to strengthen supply chain resilience amid rising instability in key maritime corridors.
PM Modi’s participation at the summit also included his address at the outreach session titled “Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity,” where he highlighted concerns over disruptions in maritime trade and their impact on the global economy. He emphasised that instability in the Strait of Hormuz has affected global shipping and energy flows, including implications for India.
He also underlined the need for collective responsibility in ensuring maritime security, particularly for seafarers operating on international routes. Stressing diplomacy as the path forward, he reiterated that lasting solutions to global conflicts can only emerge through dialogue and cooperation among nations.
PM Modi added that India remains committed to working with global partners to safeguard critical sea lanes and maintain stability in maritime trade routes.
On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi also held separate bilateral meetings with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Mark Carney, and Keir Starmer.
During his meeting with Carney, both sides reviewed progress in bilateral ties and discussed strengthening cooperation across trade, energy, innovation, education, and people-to-people exchanges, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
