India Wanted No Questions At PM Modi-Trump Presser, But Trump Invited Media: US Envoy
India had asked the United States to avoid a full-fledged question-and-answer session with the media during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has said.
Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum, Gor recalled that Trump had initially agreed to India’s request. However, after the two leaders delivered their opening remarks in front of journalists and cameras, Trump turned to the media and asked whether there were any questions.
“We were behind the scenes, behind the stage, and at one point it was just the president and I, and he asked me, he goes, what the Indians are going to raise. We went over some topics,” Gor stated, recalling his conversation with Trump before the meeting.
According to Gor, that moment opened up the interaction and resulted in what he described as a 45-minute press conference, with a wide range of issues discussed.
What Sergio Gor said
Gor said he had personally conveyed New Delhi’s preference to Trump before the meeting.
According to the ambassador, the Ministry of External Affairs had requested that the media be allowed into the meeting but that it should not turn into a full press conference.
Gor said that after the opening remarks, Trump unexpectedly invited questions from reporters.
India has not officially responded to Gor’s account of the episode.
Modi-Trump meeting in France
Modi and Trump met on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France. The meeting came amid discussions on India-US trade relations as well as tensions affecting shipping and energy supplies in West Asia.
The safety of Indian sailors operating in the Strait of Hormuz was among the issues raised by Modi. The Prime Minister told Trump that the safety of Indian seafarers in the region was of the utmost importance.
Trump also spoke about the close relationship between the two countries and said the US would support India if it came under attack from another country.
The meeting was also significant because India and the US were engaged in negotiations over a bilateral trade agreement. Trump said at the time that the two countries were “very close” to reaching a trade deal.
Meanwhile, the claim about India requesting no questions comes from US Ambassador Sergio Gor’s account of the meeting. The Indian government had not officially confirmed or commented on his remarks in the report.