New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet US President Donald Trump in France where the G7 summit is scheduled next week, the White House said today. Trump is expected to discuss plans to demine the Strait of Hormuz with allies during the G7 Summit in France, news agency AP reported, quoting a senior US administration official.
Britain and France, who are both members of the G7, have expressed interest in assisting with demining the critical waterway once the conflict is paused.
Trump yesterday announced a “great settlement” had been made that could end the conflict with Iran if the Islamic nation signed it. He added the Strait of Hormuz would officially reopen once the Iran deal was signed, possibly this weekend in Europe, with Vice President JD Vance attending on his behalf.
The US president’s announcement came hours after he announced to stop planned military action against Iran, despite earlier threats to target Kharg Island and other key Iranian oil facilities. He said the decision was a result of high-level agreements with Iranian leaders and other key nations. The US naval blockade of the strait will remain in place until the deal is finalised.
The conflict has disrupted global shipping routes and tightened supplies through the strait that handles nearly one-fifth of global oil trade. The disruption has pushed crude oil prices higher in international markets.
While most economies have quickly passed on rising costs to consumers, India has kept domestic fuel prices stable for an extended period. According to government officials, India remained the only major economy to hold fuel prices steady for the first 76 days of the Hormuz disruption before initiating adjustments.
PM Modi has left for a week-long tour of France and Slovakia. In his departure statement, the prime minister said France occupies “a special place in India’s strategic vision”.
India is a major customer of the French company Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter jet.
“France occupies a special place in India’s strategic vision. Earlier this year, President Macron visited India, and we elevated our relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership,” PM Modi said.
His visit to Slovakia is also “historic and extremely important” and will boost ties, India’s Ambassador to Slovakia, Apoorva Srivastava, said. This is the first time an Indian prime minister is going to Slovakia since its independence in 1993.
“We had the visit of the Indian President to Slovakia last year, and the President of Slovakia visited India earlier this year for the AI Summit. Now, Prime Minister Modi is visiting. Prime Minister Robert Fico of Slovakia and Prime Minister Modi will meet for the first time. We hope they will share the same personal chemistry that PM Modi has with other leaders, so that our relationship can move forward,” the ambassador said.
She said the objectives and expected outcomes of this visit are expected to be on traditional, political and defence relationships. “There is a possibility of discussion on avenues for new cooperation, like AI, quantum, clean technologies, automobile components, education and people-to-people partnership.”
