Modi and Trump discuss maritime safety and trade at G7

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump held bilateral talks on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. The meeting, their first in-person interaction in 16 months, focused on regional security, trade, and the safety of maritime personnel following a recent incident that killed three Indian sailors.

Modi directly raised the issue of seafarer safety, highlighting the deaths of three Indian crew members in a U.S. military strike on merchant vessels off the coast of Oman earlier this month. He stressed that the welfare of hundreds of thousands of Indian sailors working on global trade routes, including the vital Strait of Hormuz, is a top priority for India. Modi expressed confidence that any future peace agreement involving the United States would give the highest priority to their security.

In response, President Trump acknowledged the incident, calling maritime work a "rough profession," and pledged that both nations would work together on the issue. The leaders agreed that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is essential for the global economy and emphasized the importance of freedom of navigation.