No hug, only handshake: Modi, Trump share warm exchange as G7 Summit gets underway in Evian

PARIS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump shared a warm greeting at the G7 Summit currently underway in Evian, France, marking their first face-to-face interaction since their meeting at the White House in February 2025. The two leaders are scheduled to hold a formal bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.

Upon entering the venue, President Trump rose from his seat to greet Prime Minister Modi with a handshake, leading to a brief conversation. During the traditional group photo session, Modi was positioned in the front row alongside other global heads of state. His cordial interaction with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the session also drew significant attention from attendees.

While India is not a formal member of the G7—which comprises the United States, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom—New Delhi has been a regular invitee to the annual geopolitical forum since 2019.

India’s presence essential, says Canadian PM Mark Carney
Underscoring India’s expanding geopolitical footprint, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney remarked that the G7 can no longer govern global affairs in isolation. Carney noted that the inclusion of rising powers like India at the summit reflects an inevitable shift toward broader international cooperation and serves as clear evidence of a changing global power structure.

Key Global issues dominating the agenda
The high-profile summit, which commenced on Monday, is scheduled to conclude today. Tuesday's closed-door sessions focused heavily on a broad spectrum of pressing global challenges, ranging from the status of the US-Iran diplomatic accord to the containment of the Ebola outbreak in Africa.

In an effort to broaden international consensus on these crises, this year's summit features an expanded outreach guest list, with leaders from Ukraine, the UAE, Brazil, Qatar, and Egypt also participating in the deliberations.