India sought no questions at Modi-Trump meet over Trump’s ‘unpredictable behaviour’

India opted against a full press conference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump during their June France meeting, citing concerns over Trump’s unpredictable behaviour, government sources said. US envoy Sergio Gor later disclosed India’s request to avoid questions

New Delhi: Concerns over US President Donald Trump’s “unpredictable behaviour” towards many foreign leaders led the Indian side to opt against a full press conference by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the American leader following their talks in France in June, government sources said on Monday. The clarification came after US envoy Sergio Gor publicly revealed that New Delhi had communicated to the US side to skip taking questions by the two leaders.

The sources emphasised that discussions regarding leaders’ public appearances are standard protocol and part of routine diplomatic practice. Modi and Trump held bilateral talks on June 17 in Evian-les-Bains on the sidelines of the G7 summit. The meeting was widely viewed as a step forward in mending bilateral ties, which had faced severe strain over the preceding year.

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The fresh controversy comes amid a growing perception of a lack of intensity in overall relations between the two sides, with the much-talked-about bilateral trade deal remaining in limbo. The sources said that foreign delegations meeting the US President are “wary about his unpredictable behaviour as may be seen from his interactions with the presidents of South Africa and Ukraine”. “Thus, the cautious approach by India,” said one of them.

The sources said discussions regarding arrangements for public appearances of leaders ahead of any VVIP visit are normal practice. “In this regard, the Indian side communicated its standard practice for such visits,” one of the sources said.

In the course of an interactive session at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum late last week, Gor highlighted the “deep and personal friendship” between Trump and Modi and said the equation between the two leaders makes his job easier.

The envoy then brought up the meeting between the two leaders in France. “We were behind the stage, and at one point, it was just the President and I. And he asked me, ‘What are the Indians going to raise?’ We went over some topics and he said ‘do they have any asks’,” Gor said.

“MEA had one ask and it was let’s bring in the media, let’s not do a full press conference, no questions.” Gor said he told Trump that the “Indians prefer no questions…He (Trump) said, ‘Sure, no problem'”. The envoy said when the meeting started, the media entered with some 50 cameras, adding Modi and Trump spoke for a few minutes.

“As soon as they get done, the first thing the President does, he looks up at the cameras and asks, ‘Any questions?'” he said. “And that opened everything up,” he added. The US envoy suggested that Trump had forgotten the request from the Indian side and ended up taking many questions from the media.