US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has revealed that India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had requested a “no-questions” media format ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit.
Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum in New Delhi, Gor said the Indian side wanted journalists to be present to record the leaders’ opening remarks but not ask questions. Trump had initially agreed to the arrangement.
However, after Modi and Trump finished their opening statements, Trump appeared to forget the agreement and turned towards the cameras, asking, “Any questions?” What was planned as a brief media interaction subsequently turned into an extended 45-minute press session, Gor recalled.
Gor’s account offers a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes preparations for high-level India-US meetings and Trump’s tendency to depart from pre-agreed media protocols.
Modi met Trump on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 summit in eastern France, shortly after three Indian mariners were killed when a commercial vessel came under attack by the US Navy in the Strait of Hormuz. During the meeting, Modi raised concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the conflict-affected region.
The Indian government has yet to officially respond to Gor’s remarks regarding New Delhi’s request for a no-questions format.