Why Did India Ask to Avoid a Joint Media Meet With Trump?

Government sources have reportedly said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not participate in a joint media briefing with US President Donald Trump during the G7 summit in France in June because of uncertainty over how Trump might interact with foreign leaders in public. The explanation came after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor recently said at a discussion forum that India had asked the US side in advance not to hold a joint media interaction. The government has reportedly clarified that discussions during public engagements follow standard diplomatic protocol and that there was no other reason for Modi’s absence from the briefing.

Trump and Modi held bilateral talks on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The meeting was expected to help strengthen ties between the two countries after tensions in the previous year, but the two leaders did not appear together before the media. Gor’s recent remarks have now triggered discussion. He said India’s Ministry of External Affairs had requested that no questions be asked during the joint interaction. According to Gor, Trump later turned towards the media and invited questions, leading to a lengthy media interaction. He suggested that Trump may have forgotten the earlier understanding regarding India.