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    COVER STORY                                                              JUNE 26, 2026     |  The Indian Eye                    4

                                              MODI-TRUMP MEETING

                A STRATEGIC

                                           RESET?

                The first face-to-face meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald
               Trump in more than 16 months reflected renewed political warmth, progress on a bilateral trade
                     agreement and growing strategic convergence on West Asia, even as tariff disputes and

                                     the China-Pakistan equation continue to shape the relationship.

                                                                                                                  ments lay an important political
            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            message. Trump has consistently
                                                                                                                  portrayed Modi as a trusted partner
            New Delhi
                                                                                                                  since  their  joint  appearances  at  the
                  he meeting between Prime                                                                        “Howdy Modi” event in Houston in
                  Minister Narendra Modi and                                                                      2019 and the “Namaste Trump” pro-
            TUS President Donald Trump                                                                            gramme in Ahmedabad in 2020. By
            on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in                                                                  again emphasising their friendship,
            Evian, France, marked more than the                                                                   Trump signalled continuity in bilater-
            resumption of personal diplomacy.                                                                     al ties despite changes in the global
            It reaffirmed the resilience of the In-                                                               political landscape.
            dia-US strategic partnership at a time                                                                    The positive atmosphere also ex-
            when the international order is being                                                                 tended to trade, an area that has of-
            reshaped  by  conflict  in  West  Asia,                                                               ten generated friction between New
            intensifying competition with China                                                                   Delhi and Washington.
            and persistent trade frictions.                                                                           Trump indicated that negotia-
                Although no major agreements                                                                      tions on the proposed bilateral trade
            were signed, the discussions pro-                                                                     agreement  had  entered  their  final
            duced unmistakably positive political                                                                 stretch. “We’re very close,” he said
            signals. The two leaders projected                                                                    when asked about the agreement.
            personal  warmth,  announced  prog-                                                                   “We had, in particular, some very
            ress towards an interim bilateral                                                                     good conversations with Prime Min-
            trade  agreement  and  underscored                                                                    ister Modi... We’re doing trade deals,
            India’s growing strategic importance                                                                  we’re doing a lot of things.”
            in regional and global affairs.                                                                           Those remarks were reinforced
                The  meeting  was  their  first                                                                   by India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram
            in-person  interaction  in  more  than                                                                Misri, who described the agreement
            16 months, following Modi’s visit                                                                     as being in its “final stages.”
            to Washington in February 2025. It                                                                        “With the United States, we have
            also came amid rising tensions in the                                                                 made significant progress already on
            Gulf, renewed concerns over mari-                                                                     the conclusion of an interim free
            time security in the Strait of Hormuz   Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump hold a bilateral meeting on the   trade bilateral trade agreement. We
            and continuing negotiations over tar-  sidelines of the G7 Summit 2026, in Evian on Wednesday (DPR PMO/ANI Photo)  are in the final stages of concluding
            iffs and market access.                                                                               that agreement,” Misri said.
                Perhaps the most striking fea-                                                                        According  to  him,  both  leaders
            ture of the meeting was Trump’s pub-  time now, and we’ve always had a   In a characteristically colourful   instructed their negotiating teams to
            lic praise for Modi. In remarks that   great relationship,” Trump said.  observation, he added, “He’s the   conclude the agreement “at the ear-
            mixed humour with diplomacy, the      Describing Modi as one of the   most beautiful-looking man; he looks   liest possible.”
            US President repeatedly highlighted   toughest  leaders  he  has  dealt  with,   so nice, he’s like an angel. But actual-  The upcoming visit of US Trade
            the Indian Prime Minister’s negotiat-  Trump remarked, “He’s a very tough   ly, he’s as tough as they come... He’s   Representative Jamieson Greer to
            ing abilities and leadership.     negotiator. He’s one of the tough-  a killer.”                      India is expected to give final shape
                “He’s been my friend for a long   est.”                             Behind the personal compli-          Continued on next page... >>

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