Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump are scheduled to hold bilateral talks on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, the White House said on Saturday, with ongoing discussions on a trade agreement expected to be a key focus.
The meeting will mark the first face-to-face interaction between the two leaders since February 2025, when Prime Minister Modi visited President Trump following his victory in the November 2024 US presidential election.
Prime Minister Modi will attend the G7 Summit on June 16-17 at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron . During the summit, he is expected to engage with G7 leaders, partner countries and international organisations on global partnerships, sustainable economic growth and the safe deployment of artificial intelligence.
Since their last meeting, India-US ties have faced strains on multiple fronts, including Washington's imposition of steep tariffs on Indian exports, President Trump's repeated claims that he helped resolve the India-Pakistan conflict in May 2025 — a claim New Delhi has consistently rejected — and India's oil trade with Russia.
INDIA-US TRADE TALKS TO BE IN FOCUS
US officials said that the trade deal, which has been under negotiation for several months , is expected to be discussed during the bilateral meeting.
“We signed a joint framework agreement earlier this year and have been engaged in intensive negotiations with India over the past year,” a US official told media at the White House.
The official added that India and the United States are natural economic partners with significant potential to expand bilateral trade, noting opportunities for increased US exports to India in energy, industrial goods, and select agricultural products.
“Prime Minister Modi is quite ambitious about the role he envisions for India and the importance of the US–India relationship,” the White House official said.
The official also noted that President Trump would not agree to any deal unless “it is a very good deal,” adding that the agreement is unlikely to be finalised during the G7 meeting.
“We believe a very good deal is possible. Further technical discussions are required, but the leaders will have an opportunity to take stock of where things stand and how forward-leaning both sides are willing to be in closing the deal in the coming weeks,” the official added.
TALKS UNDER THE SHADOW OF SAILORS' DEATHS
The talks will also take place against the backdrop of growing tensions over the Iran war, which has had significant economic repercussions for India. Relations have come under further pressure following recent US attacks on several oil tankers carrying Indian sailors off the coast of Oman.
On June 8, a Palau-flagged oil tanker, Marivex, carrying 24 Indian seafarers, was disabled by US forces. All the seafarers were rescued safely. Two days later, the US struck another Palau-flagged tanker, MT Settebello, killing three of the 24 Indian sailors, including deck cadet Aditya Sharma, engine fitter Shivanand Chaurasiya and chief engineer Patnala Suresh on board. Another vessel, Jalveer, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker with 20 Indians, was attacked on June 11.
Following the deaths, New Delhi lodged a strong protest with Washington and summoned the US Charg d'Affaires. The Ministry of External Affairs said it had conveyed its deep concern over the use of lethal force against civilian shipping and stressed that attacks on commercial vessels undermine the safety, security and stability of international maritime commerce.
While India called for dialogue and diplomacy to ensure an early return to peace and stability in the region, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly defended the strikes. During a conversation with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday, Rubio maintained that the United States would not tolerate any violation of its blockade at the Strait of Hormuz.
PM MODI'S TOUR OF FRANCE & SLOVAKIA
PM Modi’s attendance at the G7 Summit comes in between his visits to France and Slovakia. His two-nation tour will begin in France on June 14, where he will hold bilateral talks with President Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders are expected to review the full spectrum of the India–France Special Global Strategic Partnership , which has recently been elevated to its highest level.
During the visit, the two leaders will jointly inaugurate the “Bharat Innovates” event, a flagship platform bringing together startups and venture capital funds from India, France, and other partner countries. The event is being organised as part of the India–France Year of Innovation and aims to strengthen cooperation in technology, entrepreneurship, and investment.
In the second leg of the tour, PM Modi will undertake a historic state visit to Slovakia at the invitation of Prime Minister Robert Fico. This will mark the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since its independence in 1993. PM Modi is scheduled to hold delegation-…
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