New Delhi [India], August 24 (ANI): Clarifying the context surrounding remarks made by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor regarding the June bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, government sources stated that discussions concerning public appearance arrangements are standard protocol prior to any high-level foreign engagement.
According to government sources, discussions regarding arrangements for public appearances of leaders are normal practice ahead of any VVIP visit, and in this regard, the Indian side communicated its standard practice for such visits.
The clarification follows statements made by US Ambassador Sergio Gor at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum on Saturday, where he claimed that India had specifically requested the US administration to avoid taking questions from the media following the bilateral interaction between PM Modi and President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France.
Gor revealed that while President Trump initially acceded to the request, he subsequently opened the floor to reporters, converting the session into a 45-minute press conference with PM Modi sitting alongside him.
The bilateral meeting between PM Modi and President Trump took place on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.
Recalling the sequence of events, Gor stated that he held a brief conversation with Trump prior to the interaction.
"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 the Indians are going to raise. We went over some topics," Gor said.
"And he said, do they have any asks? And the MEA had one ask. He said, and it was, let's bring in the media, but let's not do a full press conference," the ambassador added.
Gor noted that he directly conveyed the preference outlined by the Indian side to Trump.
"I told the president, I said, the Indians prefer no questions. He said, sure, no problem," Gor recalled.
The interaction subsequently commenced with media personnel and technical crews present in the room. Gor noted that approximately 50 cameras were set up as PM Modi and Trump sat across from one another to deliver their preliminary statements.
"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," he said.
However, immediately after the conclusion of the opening statements, Trump addressed the assembled reporters and asked, "Any questions?"
"And that opened everything up," the ambassador said, describing the interaction as turning into "a 45-minute press conference" where "everything was on the table".
The bilateral meeting held on June 17 came days after three Indian mariners were killed following an attack by the US Navy on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
The security and protection of Indian seafarers navigating through the region were among the key matters raised by PM Modi during the exchange.
"Many Indian seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz, their safety is of the utmost importance," PM Modi told Trump during the interaction.
However, Trump downplayed the operational hazards involved in maritime transit, characterising it as a "rough profession".
The two leaders also held deliberations concerning the situation surrounding the Strait of Hormuz alongside broader India-US bilateral trade relations.
Addressing security commitments, Trump asserted that the US would extend support to India in the event of external aggression.
Indicating towards PM Modi, Trump remarked, "If anybody attacks that man, we're gonna be there. Now, if there's a new leader, I'm not sure."
The June visit proved significant as New Delhi and Washington worked towards finalising a bilateral trade agreement amid ongoing tensions in West Asia that affected maritime shipping and global energy supplies.
Trump further observed during the interaction that both nations were "very close" to concluding the trade deal. (ANI)
Arrangements for public appearances standard protocol ahead of VVIP visits: Government sources on US envoy's claims that India sought no-question format for PM Modi-Trump meet
