Seated next to Trump, PM Modi raises ship attacks, says must protect seafarers

WArs tin only if be addressed through and through duologue, diplomatic negotiations and international cooperation, and all countries must ensure the safety of maritime routes and seafarers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told a gathering that included US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, days after a US strike on a merchant vessel killed three Indian sailors in waters off Oman.Modi made the remarks while addressing an outreach session of the G7 Summit in the French resort of Evian on the theme of “Forging new partnerships and rebuilding international solidarity”. India, along with Brazil, Egypt, Kenya and South Korea, was among partner countries invited to the session held two days after Iran and the US agreed on a peace deal.“The safety of seafarers, who connect all countries through global maritime trade, is our responsibility. We must ensure that sea lanes remain safe, and seafarers can carry out their work without fear,” Modi said at the session, with Trump seated directly beside him. “India is fully prepared to work with all partners on these issues.”Modi welcomed progress in the peace efforts in West Asia, and noted the conflict had claimed the lives of “many Indian civilians” and resulted in loss of life and property in friendly countries in the region. The disruption of maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz also harmed the global economy, he said.While emphasising the importance of trust-based partnerships and global solidarity in addressing shared challenges, Modi said: “India firmly believes that a lasting solution to the ongoing tensions and wars in various parts of the world is possible only through dialogue, diplomacy, and international cooperation.”Modi’s remarks came a day ahead of a planned bilateral meeting with Trump on the margins of the G7 Summit. The two leaders briefly exchanged pleasantries before the outreach session, their first in-person encounter since a meeting in Washington in February 2025.Three Indian seafarers were killed when the tanker MT Settebello was attacked by a US aircraft last week. The US Navy targeted three merchant vessels with more than 65 Indian crew members near the coast of Oman on charges of attempting to evade an American blockade, prompting the external affairs ministry to summon the most senior American diplomat in New Delhi twice for formal protests. External affairs minister S Jaishankar also raised the issue during a phone call with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. There has, however, been no expression of regret from the US, and Rubio asserted the US wouldn’t tolerate any violations of its blockade of Iran.Thirteen Indians have died in West Asia since Israel and the US’s attacks on Iran on February 28 triggered the conflict.Modi underscored the importance of trust in international partnerships in a world that is more interconnected and interdependent than before. Energy, food and health security, cybersecurity, and economic prosperity are not limited by national borders, and mobility, data, capital and technology connect nations, he said.“In such times, the importance of partnerships naturally increases. But partnerships succeed only when trust is at their core. Today, the most important strategic asset is not minerals, technologies or markets, but mutual trust,” Modi said. This includes not using technology and supply chains “as weapons”, he added.After the two world wars of the past century, the world community developed systems to move toward peace, stability and prosperity “founded on trust”, Modi said. “But the trust built over decades through the contributions of several generations is eroding today. Covid has shown us just how hollow the claims of trust and solidarity were,” he said. “The world today does not suffer from a lack of resources; it suffers from a lack of trust. And the future of our partnership depends on building this trust.”Modi invoked former US president Ronald Reagan’s famous quote “Trust, but verify”, and said: “This remains relevant today. We have a responsibility to future generations to build a reliable, rules-based order suited to the new era.”Though the PM did not name any country, his remarks came against the backdrop of unprecedented strains that characterised India-US relations over the past year, especially after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Indian goods. The two countries are now working on a bilateral trade agreement to address issues such as tariffs, following an understanding reached in February.