NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday placed the safety of Indian seafarers at the centre of discussions on restoring peace and stability in West Asia, saying he was confident the issue would receive the “highest priority” in implementing a new agreement between the US and Iran aimed at ending regional tensions during his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump in 16 months on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.
“You are aware that across the world, Indian seafarers and hundreds of thousands are working and performing their duties across global maritime trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, and their safety is of utmost importance to us,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister linked the protection of seafarers directly to the implementation of the agreement between the US and Iran.
“You made tremendous efforts towards reaching this understanding and this agreement,” Modi said. “I'm confident that the issue of seafarers will receive the highest priority during the implementation of this agreement,”
Modi said in the backdrop of mounting concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers in West Asia, including the deaths of three Indian nationals in a US strike on a tanker off the Oman coast.
Modi also stressed the strategic importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open. The narrow waterway is among the world’s most critical energy and trade chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Asked about the deaths of Indian sailors in US Navy strikes, Trump said “It's a rough profession. This has been happening throughout time. I love all of those people,” Trump said.
“Keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is vital for the global economy,” Modi said.
“India has consistently emphasized the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation, and we should work together and place a particular emphasis on that.” Trump praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “very tough negotiator.”
Responding to questions on how close are two countries in finalising a trade deal, Trump said, “Very close. We have been there for a little while. He is a very tough negotiator. One of the toughest.” He then added, “He is the most beautiful looking man, he looks so nice, he is like an angel. But actually he is just tough, he is a killer… He looks so good, he gets you by surprise.”
Trump said the United States would support India in the event of an attack, even without a formal mutual defence treaty, while describing bilateral defence ties as strong.
“I think it's a great relationship. I can tell you this: without even having a contract – we don't have a formal [mutual defence] contract; you have to have the right contract – but if they were attacked, we would be there to help,” Trump said.
US President Donald Trump said relations between the United States and India were expanding across multiple fronts, highlighting economic growth and investment flows between the two countries.
“A lot of things are happening between the United States and India. And the United States is doing the best we’ve ever done. We have over $19.2 trillion coming in. We're building factories. We're building everything,” Trump said.
Referring to his personal rapport with PM Modi, Trump said, “He’s been my friend for a long time now, and we’ve always had a great relationship, and it’s great to be with you.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and the United States have accelerated cooperation following their previous engagement in Washington, noting that bilateral ties have gained “new speed and new energy.”
“We had an extremely productive meeting in Washington last year. And since then, we have given new speed and new energy to our relations, and we are working together on a number of areas,” Modi said.
He added that coordinated work between both sides has helped advance shared objectives, saying, “Our teams have also been working in close coordination and engagement, and they've been working towards the achievement of the targets that we had set for ourselves last year.
The meeting in Evian-les-Bains was the first formal bilateral engagement between the two leaders in 16 months and came amid efforts to steady ties strained by trade disputes and broader geopolitical differences. The two leaders last met in-person at the White House in February 2025, weeks after Trump's second inauguration.
Notably, Wednesday's meeting comes a day after Modi and Trump briefly interacted on the sidelines of the G7 summit amid strained bilateral ties. The two leaders exchanged pleasantries and held a short conversation at a gathering of G7 leaders. While details of the exchange were not disclosed, the encounter set the stage for Wednesday's high-stakes talks.
Notably, relations between the two countries deteriorated in the months following the February 2025 meeting between the two leaders after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on Indian goods and President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed credit for helping defuse military tensions between India and Pakistan during their clashes in May last year.
The US president said his intervention had helped avert a wider conflict, a claim New Delhi firmly rejected, maintaining that the cessation of hostilities resulted from direct talks between the two neighbours.
Washington's tighter immigration policies and an increase in H-1B visa fees further added to bilateral tensions. However, both sides have sought to repair ties in recent months. Following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India last month, officials renewed efforts to strengthen cooperation and advance negotiations on a trade agreement.
The relationship came under fresh strain last week after three Indian seafarers were killed when US military strikes hit merchant vessels off the coast of Oman. Following the incident, India summoned US Charge d'Affaires Jason Meeks and described the attacks on commercial vessels carrying Indian crew members as "unacceptable".
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also raised the matter with Rubio.
Against this backdrop, Modi used his remarks at a G7 outreach session on Tuesday, and again during his talks with Trump, to underline the need for secure maritime routes and the safety of seafarers operating in international waters.
