US Ambassador Sergio Gor has revealed an alleged request from India ahead of the upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. This development suggests that India is seeking to influence the agenda of the discussions between the two leaders, highlighting the complexities of diplomatic negotiations in the region.
The Union government or the MEA is yet to officially react to this statement. We went over some topics. And the MEA had one ask.
So the meeting starts, the press comes in, there must have been 50 cameras, the president is sitting here, the prime minister is sitting there, they both speak for a few minutes.
Gor claimed that the ministry of external affairs had asked for “no questions” after the meeting between Modi and Trump, adding that the US President later forgot the request. “As soon as they get done (with the meeting), the first thing the president does, he looks up at the camera and says, any questions? And that opened everything up,” Gor said at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum. Elaborating on the alleged request, Gor said, “We were behind the scenes, behind the stage, and at one point it was just the president and I, and he asked me, he goes, what are the Indians going to raise? And he said, do they have any asks? He said, and it was, let’s bring in the media, but let’s not do a full press conference. “I told the president, I said, the Indians prefer no questions. He said, sure, no problem. Gor claimed further, adding that the remark “opened everything up”. The US ambassador said that “a 45-minute press conference” followed, and that “everything was on the table.”
During the meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in June, several issues were discussed, including the safety of seafarers amid ship attacks, the reopening of Strait of Hormuz, and the future of India-US trade. “If anybody attacks that man (pointing to Modi), we’re gonna be there.
Trump, meanwhile, said United States would “be there for India” if it is ever attacked. Now, if there’s a new leader, I’m not sure,” Trump said.
