Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his two-nation visit to France and Slovakia by participating in the G7 Summit in Evian-Les-Bains on Tuesday and Wednesday, where India was invited as a guest country. According to Business Standard, Modi met with multiple world leaders on the margins of the summit, including US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, EU leader Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In his meeting with Trump, Modi raised the issue of seafarers' safety, urging that their protection be given the highest priority during the implementation of Washington's peace deal with Iran. Modi also addressed the Indian diaspora and emphasized that India is emerging as a "trusted partner" to the world during this defining period where aspirations are reaching new heights.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-nation visit concluded with significant progress on trade agreements. According to reports from Business Standard, Modi's bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump at Evian-les-Bains brought certainty to India-US trade negotiations, which had undergone a phase of uncertainty. The meeting resulted in Modi and Trump instructing their officials to work toward a balanced, mutually beneficial and commercially meaningful agreement at the earliest. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will visit India next week to contribute significantly to finalising the agreement. As per MEA officials, the PM's bilateral meeting with Trump was devoted mostly to discussing the India-US trade deal, with the visit of USTR Greer to New Delhi next week expected to contribute significantly to finalising the agreement.
Modi's diplomatic engagements resulted in concrete timelines for multiple trade agreements. As reported by Business Standard, Modi's meeting with UK counterpart Keir Starmer ended with both agreeing on July 15 as the date for the entry into force of the bilateral Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). His meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney concluded with leaders asking their respective officials to sign a bilateral trade agreement by the end of the year. Additionally, his meeting with EU leadership led to the India-EU trade deal being announced for finalisation by year-end. MEA Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that Modi's meeting with von der Leyen and European Council President Antonia Costa also led to the EU leadership announcing that the India-EU deal will be formalised by year-end.
Modi concluded a "historic and productive" visit to Slovakia, marking his first visit as Indian Prime Minister to the country. According to Business Standard, during his visit, India and Slovakia elevated their ties to a comprehensive partnership and firmed up 11 agreements to expand bilateral cooperation in several areas such as migration, digital technology and defence. Modi expressed gratitude to the Slovakian government and people for the warmth, stating that the outcomes will go a long way in strengthening bilateral ties between the nations and that stronger trade relations will greatly benefit their youth. This comprehensive partnership highlights India's growing role as a "trusted partner" in global tech, trade, and diplomacy, as noted by the MEA.
During his visit, Modi met with key business leaders including Benoit Bazin of Saint-Gobain and Martin Sion of Alstom, who shared expansion plans for India. As reported by Business Standard, Modi also met Arthur Mensch of Mistral AI, who expressed strong interest in collaborating with India and partnering with Indian companies to drive AI innovation. In his address at VivaTech 2026 in Paris, Modi emphasized democratizing technology access, stating that technology can lead to progress only when it is democratised. India served as the AI Country Partner at VivaTech 2026, with over 80 Indian deep-tech companies and start-ups participating in the event. Modi highlighted India's technological prowess and said half of the global digital transactions are happening in the country. In New Delhi, US Ambassador Sergio Gor called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, with both officials discussing further strengthening cooperation between India and the US in security, particularly counter-terrorism and counter-narcotics.
