Modi and Trump likely to meet at G7 summit

INDIA’S prime minister Narendra Modi is likely to hold talks with US president Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of 7 summit, with trade, visas and energy cooperation expected to be among the key issues for discussion, an Indian government source told Reuters.

The June 15-17 summit in the French town of Evian-les-Bains will bring together leaders from major economies, including Trump and with delegations from India, among others.

Modi will begin a five-day visit on June 13 and will travel to Slovakia after attending the G7 meeting.

“The prime minister is expected to hold talks on the ⁠trade ties, energy cooperation, and also take up the issue of H-1B visas,” a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

A meeting between Modi and Trump would come at a sensitive time in relations between New Delhi and Washington.

Ties have faced pressure over US tariffs on Indian goods and Trump’s repeated assertions, denied by India, that he intervened to end India’s brief conflict with Pakistan last year.

Recent engagement between the two countries has helped reduce some of those tensions.

Last month, US secretary of state Marco Rubio visited India, where the two sides discussed trade, visas, maritime security, energy supplies and the Middle East.

Trade negotiations between New Delhi and Washington are moving toward the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement that could be completed by mid-July, India’s trade minister Piyush Goyal said last week.

India is seeking preferential tariff treatment from the United States as part of talks on an interim trade deal.

Washington has also proposed an additional 12.5 per cent tariff on imports from India and several other countries, alleging the use of forced labor. India has rejected the allegation. “The talks on the additional tariff have not concluded yet and we are hopeful that we will get competitive rates,” a second Indian government source said.

India’s foreign ministry and the US embassy in India did not respond to requests for comment. The tightening of requirements for H-1B visas is also expected to be part of any Modi-Trump discussion because of its impact on thousands of Indians working in the United States, the first source said.

The source added that Modi and Trump may also discuss energy cooperation involving the United States and Venezuela.