'As Long As PM Modi Is The Leader...': Trump Endorses India's Role In West Asia

France's

Evian witnessed a high-profile bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday on the sidelines of the G7 Summit 2026, with the American leader lauding India's growing global influence and PM Modi's leadership.Responding to a question on whether he expects India to play a role in West Asia, Trump said he believes New Delhi has an important part to play as long as PM Modi is the leader."Yes, I do. I think India plays a big role in everything. As long as he (PM Modi) is the leader, India is going to play a big role," Trump said during the meeting.

PM Modi Raises Concerns Over Seafarers Safety

PM Modi raised concerns over the safety of seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz during the bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, asserting that the Iran peace deal will ensure the security and safety of seafarers."We have always said that freedom of navigation should be ensured and we should also stress upon that. Lakhs of Indian seafarers are on duty in different seas of the world in the sector of maritime trade. I believe that their security is equally important. I am confident that in the deal (with Iran) security of seafarers will be ensured and prioritised," said PM Modi.

Trump Says India-US Trade Talks Advancing

During the meeting, US President Donald Trump praised Prime Minister Modi and highlighted the growing momentum in India-US ties, saying the two leaders held "very good conversations" and had productive discussions, stating that trade negotiations between the two countries were progressing."We had some great meetings in France... It's a G7. We have a G2 coming up, and then we have a G20 coming up. We had, in particular, some very good conversations with Prime Minister Modi of India. We're doing trade deals. A lot of things are happening between the United States and India," Trump said."The United States is doing the best we've ever done. We have over $19.2 trillion coming in, and we're building factories, we're building everything. The Prime Minister is building a lot in the United States. He's spending a lot of money in the United States, so we appreciate that job. But I just want to say he's been my friend for a long time now, and we've always had a great relationship, and it's great to be with you," the US President added.