'Normal Practice': India Reacts To US Envoy's 'MEA Sought No Questions' Remark On Modi-Trump Meet

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Discussions between India and the US on arrangements for public appearances by leaders are a standard part of preparations for high-level meetings, PTI reported, citing government sources. This comes after US envoy Sergio Gor alleged that New Delhi had requested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump avoid a media interaction following their meeting in France.

PM Modi and Trump held talks in Evian-les-Bains, France, on June 17 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.

Speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum on Saturday, Gor said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had communicated to the US side that India would prefer there to be no press interaction by the two leaders after their meeting.

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Reacting to the remarks, government sources said discussions over arrangements for leaders' public appearances were routine ahead of high-level visits.

"Discussions regarding arrangements for public appearances of leaders are normal practice ahead of any VVIP visit," a government source told PTI.

"In this regard, the Indian side communicated its standard practice for such visits," the source added.

The comments come amid attention over the arrangements surrounding the Modi-Trump meeting in France and the media interaction that followed it.

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According to Gor, Trump appeared to have forgotten about the request and went on to take questions from the media. The interaction lasted nearly 45 minutes, he said.

"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 (Trump) 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 envoy added.

He recounted about conveying the Indian side's preference to Trump. "I told the president, I said, the Indians prefer no questions. He said, 'Sure, no problem'," Gor added.

The ambassador added that immediately after the opening statements by both the leaders, Trump asked the reporters, "Any questions?"

Gor recounted that the interaction turned into a 45 minute press conference where everything was on the table.

The prime minister's June 17 meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit in eastern France came days after three Indian mariners were killed when the US Navy attacked a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. During the meeting, PM Modi raised concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the conflict zone.

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