Strait talk on seafarers’ safety

If anyone attacks India, we will defend it: Trump

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

In a meeting with the US President Donald Trump Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers operating in the Strait of Hormuz.

During the brief interaction on the sidelines of G7 Summit here, PM Modi also mentioned stability in West Asia. “Many Indian seafarers are in Strait of Hormuz, their safety is of utmost importance,” PM Modi told President Trump at a bilateral meet while bringing up the issue of safety of Indian seafarers, who make up 10 per cent of global seafarers, and stressed its importance.

PM Modi told Trump that the deal with Iran offers “new hope for peace and stability” in West Asia. “And I am confident that this will lead to a longstanding peace in the region,” the prime minister said.

The two leaders focused on taking steps to repair bilateral ties that witnessed severe strain over the past year. The meeting between them on the margins of the G7 summit in the French commune came amid increasing outrage in India over the killing of three Indian crew members of a merchant ship in American military strikes.