PM Modi-Trump G7 France meeting fixed, will a new geopolitical equation be created? Talks amid India-US tension, will there be a major change in trade and visa policies? Will the West Asia and ship attacks controversy further sour relations? Can this meeting change the direction of India’s strategic diplomacy?
New Delhi: The biggest and shocking news of this time is coming out from the corridors of global politics. The White House has officially confirmed that a very secret and sensitive meeting is going to take place in France between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump. PM Modi has left for a week-long historic tour of France and Slovakia. But, behind this departure lies such a diplomatic situation, which has alarmed the defense experts all over the world. Before leaving, PM Modi clearly said, “France has a special place in India’s strategic thinking.” India is a big customer of French company Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter aircraft, hence many deep meanings are being extracted from this statement.
Suspense: That date of 17th June and the closed-door intelligence meeting!
The story behind the scenes is that Modi and Trump will hold a closed-door bilateral meeting during the G7 summit to be held in France on June 17. This meeting is taking place at a time when relations between India and America are going through a very sensitive and volatile phase. There is a murmur in diplomatic circles that as normal as the agenda of this meeting appears, the inner story is equally complicated. There are going to be discussions between the two leaders on trade, energy cooperation, H-1B visa policies, regional security and the changing equations of West Asia, which will decide the direction of the global market in the times to come.
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Scary truth: Will India demand an account of the blood shed in the sea?
There is a deep tension hidden behind this great meeting. In fact, just a few days ago, a series of US military attacks were seen on commercial ships carrying Indian sailors in the Gulf of Oman, to which New Delhi had expressed strong objection. Three innocent Indian sailors lost their lives in the attack on Palau flagged tanker ‘MT Setebelo’. After this horrific incident, India had expressed its strong displeasure by summoning the American diplomatic representative (Chargé d’Affaires) twice within a week. Will Modi put Washington on the back foot by directly raising the issue of security of its citizens with Trump in this meeting? This question remains the biggest suspense at this time.
Business War: Who will win in the game of trade and visa?
The tussle continues between the two countries regarding the interim trade agreement. India wants major relief from US tariffs on many of its exports, while Washington is adamant on increasing its access to the Indian market and labor issues. Along with this, one-to-one talks are also expected on H-1B visa, which decides the fate of millions of Indian professionals working in America.
Oil Crisis: War in West Asia and the threat of the Strait of Hormuz!
This meeting is taking place when secret talks are going on between America and Iran to extend the ceasefire that has been going on since April. The two countries are at loggerheads over the easing of sanctions and the future of the Strait of Hormuz. Since more than 3 lakh Indian sailors are deployed in shipping fleets around the world, the security of this route is India’s biggest concern. Amidst the chaos in the global oil market, this conversation between Modi and Trump can cause a big upheaval in the prices of crude oil.
History: There will be chaos in Slovakia for the first time since 1993!
This is PM Modi’s seventh consecutive appearance at the G7 Summit held in Evian-les-Bains at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, making India the uncrowned king of the ‘Global South’. But the most secret and historic part of this tour is the visit to Slovakia. According to Apoorva Srivastava, India’s Ambassador to Slovakia, no Indian Prime Minister has visited Slovakia since independence in 1993. This will be the first time that an Indian PM will step there. Now it remains to be seen what new diplomatic miracle India shows to the world from this Chakravyuh of 15 to 17 June!