Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (June 17) on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, according to the White House schedule.
Trump is also expected to address the media shortly after the talks.
The White House schedule states that Trump will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 6.15 pm IST on Wednesday.
A press conference by the US President is slated to take place immediately after the meeting.
The interaction will mark the first face-to-face meeting between PM Modi and Trump since the Prime Minister’s visit to Washington in February last year.
The meeting comes after several months in which the two leaders remained in touch by telephone but did not meet in person.
The upcoming talks are expected to provide an opportunity for both sides to discuss bilateral ties as well as regional and global developments during the G7 Summit, which is bringing together leaders from major economies and invited partner nations.
The meeting is also significant because it follows a period during which India-US relations faced challenges on multiple fronts.
MEETING AMID TRADE, DIPLOMATIC CONCERNS
News agency PTI reported that the bilateral engagement comes against the backdrop of concerns over the deaths of Indian mariners aboard commercial vessels that were targeted by the US Navy in the Strait of Hormuz.
The meeting will also be the first in-person interaction between the two leaders since ties between New Delhi and Washington encountered a rough patch following Operation Sindoor and the US administration’s decision to impose heavy tariffs on India.
Trade is expected to remain an important area of discussion.
PTI noted that PM Modi and Trump had previously agreed on a framework for an interim bilateral trade deal during their discussions in February.
Negotiations on the proposed arrangement are currently underway.
The leaders are likely to review progress on those discussions and explore ways to advance economic cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting is part of a series of bilateral engagements planned for the US president during the G7 Summit.
According to Politico, cited by PTI, Trump is scheduled to meet Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Trump is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in addition to participating in working sessions with G7 leaders.
The White House has said that discussions during the summit will focus on issues of shared importance, including economic growth and development, supply chain resilience, illegal immigration and artificial intelligence.
PM MODI ON WEEK-LONG EUROPE VISIT
Prime Minister Modi departed on Saturday for a week-long visit to France and Slovakia.
During the trip, he is attending the G7 Summit and holding discussions with world leaders on a range of bilateral and global issues.
Wednesday’s meeting with Trump is expected to be one of the key engagements of PM Modi’s visit, coming at a time when both countries are seeking to navigate outstanding trade issues while maintaining broader strategic cooperation.
