PM Modi, President Trump hold brief interaction after G7 family photo in France
Evian, June 16
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held a brief interaction following the traditional family photograph on the second day of the 52nd G7 Summit on Tuesday, ahead of the scheduled outreach session among the member and invited countries in Evian, France.
Visuals from the summit showed Prime Minister Modi briefly interacting with the US President as leaders gathered after the official group photo at the venue of the high-level meeting.
Both leaders had a handshake, with Trump patting PM Modi on his arm. The meeting between PM Modi and the US President was their first face-to-face interaction since PM's visit to Washington in February last year.
The Prime Minister and the US President also sat side by side at the G7 outreach session.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Prime Minister Modi upon his arrival at the summit venue, following which the Prime Minister joined leaders of the G7 member nations and invited countries for the customary family photograph.
Captured in the iconic frame alongside PM Modi were key world leaders, including European Council President Antonio Costa, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
PM Modi had arrived in the French city earlier on Tuesday to attend the high-profile gathering, following an official invitation from the French President. This special invitation marks India's 13th appearance at the summit as a partner nation, alongside being the seventh consecutive time the Prime Minister is participating in the global forum.
Prior to his arrival in France, the Prime Minister had made a brief transit stop in Geneva, Switzerland, where he initiated his European diplomatic outreach by meeting with Swiss Confederation President Guy Parmelin.
Beyond these collective sessions, the Prime Minister's itinerary is packed with high-level diplomacy on the sidelines of the event, where he is slated to hold a series of crucial bilateral meetings with global counterparts, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Adding to this intense diplomatic schedule, a highly anticipated bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump is also on the cards for 17 June, which the White House confirmed will focus heavily on advancing the proposed India-US trade agreement.
This session will bring together leaders from G7 countries, partner nations and heads of prominent global financial institutions, including the World Bank and the African Development Bank, with deliberations expected to centre on international cooperation, sustainable development and pressing global economic challenges.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As an American, I'm curious if this handshake will translate into concrete trade progress. The article mentions a trade agreement focus for the bilateral meeting tomorrow – that's what really matters beyond the photo ops.
Ab bas photo mein dikhana nahi, actual agreements hamesha ruk jaate hain. Hoping this time we get a real trade deal, not just handshakes and smiles. India needs those US market accesses for our textiles and pharma! 🤞
Love how PM Modi is balancing multiple bilaterals – Canada, UK, UAE and Trump. That's real diplomacy, connecting with everyone even while leading a massive country. Seven consecutive G7 participations shows India's consistent global standing! 😍
I appreciate the diplomatic hustle but with Trump's unpredictable nature, I worry that the bonhomie might not lead anywhere substantive. Price controls and tariffs are sticking points. Let's see if Modi can get Trump to budge on H1B visas too.
Ye photo toh har summit mein viral hota hai. Hopefully tomorrow's bilateral meeting with Trump na koi drama ho – last time trade negotiations broke down mid-sentence! India deserves a stable partner for economic cooperation, not a yo-yo.
R Riya H