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Evian-Les-Bains (France), Jun 17 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday raised the issue of seafarers' safety with US President Donald Trump, urging that their protection be given the highest priority during the implementation of Washington's peace deal with Iran, even as the two leaders focused on taking steps to repair bilateral ties that witnessed severe strain over the past year.

The meeting between the two leaders on the margins of the G7 summit in the French commune came amid increasing outrage in India over the killing of three Indian crew members of a merchant ship in American military strikes in the Gulf of Oman.

Trump, describing New Delhi as a key partner, said the US will defend India if anyone attacks it. The US president, without giving any timeline, said both sides are close to finalising the proposed trade deal.

Following the meeting, Modi said he and Trump "reviewed the sustained progress" in bilateral cooperation in trade, energy, defence, technology and people-to-people ties.  "Conveyed India’s appreciation on the progress in the efforts for restoring peace and stability in West Asia. Keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is vital for the global economy. Reiterated the importance of ensuring the safety and security of civilians, including seafarers," he said.

In his televised comments, Modi brought up the issue of the safety of hundreds of thousands of Indian seafarers operating in key maritime zones.

"I commend you for your leadership on the progress that has been made in the efforts to restore peace in West Asia. Thanks to your efforts, Mr President, new hope for peace and stability in the region has been kindled and we hope that this will lead to a long-standing peace in the region," Modi said.

"You and I agree that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is vital for the global economy. India has consistently emphasised the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation and we should work together and place a particular emphasis on that," he said.

The prime minister hoped the US will also accord highest priority to the safety of seafarers while implementing the peace deal with Iran.

"You are aware that in the world of maritime trade, hundreds of thousands of Indian seafarers are working and performing their duties across global maritime trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, and making a huge contribution to the progress of the world and their safety is of utmost importance to us," he said.

"Mr President, you have made tremendous efforts towards reaching this understanding and this agreement and I'm confident that this agreement will ensure the security of seafarers and this issue will receive highest priority," he said.

In his remarks, Trump described the meeting as "great" and heaped praise on Modi. The US president, without giving any timeline, said he will travel to India.

Trump was also effusive in his praise for Modi.

"I just want to say he’s been my friend for a long time now and we’ve always had a great relationship and it's great to be with you," he said.

The US president also said that New Delhi and Washington are "very close" to the trade deal.  "He's a very tough negotiator, one of the toughest, actually. So you look at this man, I'll give you a lesson. He's the most beautiful-looking man. He looks so nice, he's like an angel. But actually, he's tough," Trump said.

"People say he is such a nice man. I said he's very, very tough. He's a tough negotiator and he loves the Indian people, but he also loves the US," he added.

The US president also described India as a major global player.

"I think India plays a big role in everything. As long as he's the leader, India's going to play a big role," Trump said in response to a question on whether New Delhi has a role to play in West Asia.

"As long as I'm president, they have a great friend in the White House," he said, answering a question on strain in India-US ties.

To a question on the deaths of three Indian seafarers, Trump said he was aware of it.

"I heard about that (the deaths), it's a rough profession, no question about it," he said, adding, "We will work together." Answering another question on India-US defence ties, Trump said the US will defend India if it faces any security challenges or face an attack.

"I think it's a great relationship. I can tell you this – without having a contract, we don't have a contract – but if they were attacked, we would be there to help them," he said.

The Modi-Trump meeting came amid efforts by both New Delhi and Washington to repair the ties.

The relations witnessed a major downturn after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on India and President Trump made assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the India–Pakistan military clashes of May 2025 that drew sharp reaction from Indian officials.

Over the next few months, the US president repeatedly and publicly claimed that he had resolved the military conflict between the two neighbours and saved millions of lives as it was heading toward a full-scale war.

New Delhi stoutly maintained that the cessation of the hostilities was the result of talks between India and Pakistan and the US involvement had nothing to do with it. Washington's new immigration policy and its decision to increase H1B visa fee also contributed to the slide in India-US ties.

However, both sides made efforts in the last few months to repair the ties and even moved forward to firm up a mutually beneficial trade deal soon.

Last week, the relations came under fresh strain after three Indian sailors were killed following US military's attacks on three merchant vessels off the coast of Oman.

Asked about Indian professionals facing difficulties in the US in view of the H1B visa issue, Trump said the US have had a tremendous relationship with India in terms of employment.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor described the Modi-Trump meeting as “highly productive”.

“The two leaders held substantive talks on trade, regional security, and deepening economic partnership on the sidelines of the G7 Summit,” he said.

The prime minister travelled to France for the G7 summit as India was invited as a guest country to the summit.

The Group of 7 (G7) brings together seven of the world's most advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union is also a member of the bloc.

The G7 serves as the forum of choice for its members to discuss and coordinate action in response to major economic, financial and geopolitical challenges on the global stage.

PM Modi arrived in Evian-les-Bains after concluding his two-day trip to Slovakia. PTI MPB GRS GRS GRS

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)