Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump shared a warm greeting and held a brief conversation on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in the French commune of Evian-les-Bains on Tuesday, marking their first in-person interaction in nearly one-and-a-half years.
The two leaders were seen warmly shaking hands before engaging in a short discussion. Their interaction comes ahead of a scheduled bilateral meeting on Wednesday, which will take place on the sidelines of the summit.
While the exchange attracted attention as Modi and Trump met face-to-face after a long gap, there was no trademark Modi-Trump hug that had often accompanied their previous meetings.
It was not immediately known what the two leaders discussed during their brief conversation.
The meeting between Modi and Trump is being closely watched, with the two leaders expected to hold more detailed discussions during their bilateral engagement on Wednesday.
Following US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to India last month, the two sides have been looking at rebuilding the bilateral relationship. However, the ties came under fresh strain after three Indian sailors were killed last week following attacks on a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman.
Over the next few months, the US president repeatedly and publicly claimed that he had resolved the military conflict between the two neighbours and saved millions of lives as it was heading toward a full-scale war.
New Delhi stoutly maintained that the cessation of the hostilities was a result of talks between India and Pakistan, and the US involvement had nothing to do with it.
India's participation at the summit also marks the eighth consecutive G7 gathering to which the country has been invited, underscoring its growing engagement with major global economies and leaders.
Images from the summit showed Modi interacting with several world leaders attending the gathering. The prime minister shared photographs from the event on social media.
"With fellow leaders at the G7 Summit in Evian. We will keep working together to advance prosperity, sustainability and human well-being," Modi wrote in one post.
In another post, he said, "Always insightful to exchange perspectives with G7 leaders."
Modi also thanked French President Emmanuel Macron for hosting him in Evian-les-Bains, where he is participating in the G7 outreach sessions.
"Thank you for the welcome in Evian, my friend, President Macron!" Modi wrote on X.
