US President Donald Trump with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their event in Gujarat earlier this year. The US President also recalled his February state visit to India (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday spoke to US President Donald Trump on the latter’s proposal to include India in the G-7 club of advanced economies. Trump has already extended an invitation to PM Modi to attend the next G-7 Summit that the US is hosting this time.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said he had a “warm and productive conversation with my friend”, adding that they discussed “his plans for the US Presidency of G-7, the COVID-19 pandemic, and many other issues.”
Had a warm and productive conversation with my friend President @realDonaldTrump. We discussed his plans for the US Presidency of G-7, the COVID-19 pandemic, and many other issues.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 2, 2020
Besides, the two world leaders also discussed the situation on the India-China border, and the need for reforms in the World Health Organisation with respect to the coronavirus pandemic. The US has permanently “terminated” its relationship with the organisation accusing it of being “controlled” by China where the first case of Covid-19 was reported.
“The richness and depth of India-US consultations will remain an important pillar of the post-COVID global architecture,” PM Modi said.
In their telephonic conversation today, Trump again extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to attend the next G-7 Summit to be held in the United States.
The US President had earlier suggested that the Group of 7 be called “G10 or G11”, and proposed that it meet in September or November this year.
“PM Modi commended President Trump for his creative and far-sighted approach, acknowledging the fact that such an expanded forum would be in keeping with the emerging realities of the post-COVID world,” said a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Calling the existing Group of Seven (G-7) club a “very outdated group of countries”, Trump had said he wanted to include India, Russia, South Korea, and Australia in the group. As of now, the grouping includes the world’s largest economies – the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan.
The Prime Minister said India would be happy to work with the US and other countries to ensure the success of the proposed summit.
PM Modi also expressed concern regarding the “ongoing civil disturbances in the US”, following the death of George Floyd, a black man, who died after when a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck, and conveyed his best wishes for an early resolution of the situation.
Recalling the US President’s state visit to India in February this year, Prime Minister Modi said that the visit had been “memorable and historic on many accounts, and had also added a new dynamism to the bilateral relationship.”