Kashmir Impulse Desk

New Delhi, June 17

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held talks on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit on Wednesday, focusing on tensions in West Asia, maritime security and defence cooperation, while reaffirming the strategic partnership between the two countries.

The meeting marked the leaders’ first substantive face-to-face interaction in more than a year and came as international efforts continued to secure shipping routes in the Gulf region following recent instability that has disrupted maritime traffic and raised concerns over global energy supplies.

Speaking after the talks, Trump described the meeting as productive and reiterated Washington’s support for New Delhi.

“As long as I am at the White House, India has a friend in the United States,” Trump said, while also praising Modi as a skilled negotiator.

The discussions were dominated by concerns over freedom of navigation and the safety of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade and a key artery for India’s energy imports.

Modi highlighted the importance of protecting Indian seafarers working across international shipping routes, days after a missile strike on an oil tanker in the Gulf killed three Indian crew members.

“Freedom of navigation should be ensured,” PM Modi said. “Lakhs of Indian seafarers are serving across the world’s maritime trade routes and their security is equally important.”

The prime minister expressed hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts involving Iran would address concerns over maritime safety and ensure uninterrupted shipping through the Gulf.

He also thanked Trump for initiatives aimed at reducing tensions in the region, saying they had revived hopes for peace in West Asia.

The leaders reviewed defence cooperation, a pillar of the India-U.S. relationship that has expanded significantly in recent years through military exercises, defence purchases and technology collaboration.

India and the United States have deepened strategic coordination across the Indo-Pacific and on broader global security issues as geopolitical rivalries intensify.

Modi is attending the G7 summit as an outreach partner, marking his seventh consecutive participation in the forum.