Modi-Trump bilateral meet LIVE: What to expect in US-India meeting at G7 sidelines today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump are set for a full bilateral high-stakes talk on Wednesday, June 17, on the sidelines of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump are set for a full bilateral high-stakes talk on Wednesday, June 17, on the sidelines of the G7 leaders gathering. Modi and Trump exchanged pleasantries and held a brief conversation on Tuesday, marking their first in-person encounter in 16 months amid continuing strain in bilateral ties. In Evian-les-Bains, the site of this year's G7 summit, they shared a warm handshake, followed by a brief conversation. Their meeting comes a month after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India.
Why are US-India ties strained? The relations witnessed a major downturn after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on India and President Trump made controversial assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the India-Pakistan military clashes last May. 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 raise the H-1 B visa fee also contributed to the slide in India-US ties. However, both sides have made efforts over the last few months to repair ties and are now moving to firm up a mutually beneficial trade deal soon. What to expect in Modi-Trump meeting? In their meeting, scheduled at around 2.45 PM (local time, Évian) which would be around 6.15 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.
The BriefWire