Evian-Les-Bains, June 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump directed their officials to work towards a balanced, mutually beneficial and commercially meaningful trade agreement at the earliest.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said this on Thursday, a day after the two leaders held wide-ranging talks for the first time in 16 months on the margins of the G7 Summit in an attempt to rebuild the strained bilateral ties.

US Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, will be visiting India next week to take forward the talks on the proposed trade deal.

In the meeting, Modi and Trump reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and advancing cooperation across all domains for the mutual benefit of the two countries and their peoples, the MEA said.

“The leaders noted with particular satisfaction the significant progress made in negotiations towards an interim bilateral trade agreement and instructed their officials to work towards a balanced, mutually beneficial, and commercially meaningful agreement at the earliest,” it said in a statement.

The two sides have already held a series of negotiations on the proposed trade deal.

In his remarks, Modi also referred to the last time he met with Trump in Washington DC in February last year and said it brought new energy to the relationship.

The prime minister also complimented Trump for his efforts to bring peace to West Asia.

“Prime Minister Modi commended President Trump for his efforts that had resulted in an understanding to end the ongoing conflict in West Asia and restore peace and stability across the broader region,” the MEA said.

It said he also underlined the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation and unimpeded commerce in the Strait of Hormuz and the need to ensure the safety of seafarers.

The Modi-Trump meeting came amid increasing outrage in India over the killing of three Indian crew members of a merchant ship in American military strikes in the Gulf of Oman.

“The two leaders reviewed the substantial progress achieved under the India–US COMPACT (Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology) since their meeting in Washington, DC in February 2025,” the MEA said.

“They welcomed key developments across the defence, strategic technologies, energy, and bilateral trade sectors,” it added.

The COMPACT initiative is aimed at driving transformative change across key pillars of cooperation.

The relations witnessed a major downturn after Washington imposed punitive tariffs on India last year, and President Trump made assertions regarding his role in de-escalating the India–Pakistan military clashes of May 2025 that drew sharp reaction from Indian officials.

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; the US involvement had nothing to do with it.

Washington’s new immigration policy and its decision to increase the H1B visa fee also contributed to the slide in India-US ties.

However, both sides made efforts in the last few months to repair the ties and even moved forward to firm up the trade deal soon.

Guadalajara, JunE 18: Mexican military forces intercepted and brought down a drone that flew near the South Korean national soccer team’s training camp ahead of its World Cup match against Mexico, a federal official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Military forces used specialised equipment to detect an “unregistered drone” near the South Korean camp, prompting them to “neutralise” it, the Mexican federal agent said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly.

Co-host Mexico won its opening Group A match at the World Cup on Thursday while South Korea beat the Czech Republic later that same day. It wasn’t clear if the drone was trying to spy on the South Korean team ahead of Thursday’s match between the teams.

South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo called the incident “unfortunate”.

“Yesterday (Tuesday), during our training, there was a drone in the sky that we came to know about the fact,” Hong said through a translator. “But fortunately, it was right before we practiced our tactics, so it did not impact us. But while we were preparing for the match, that was the most important timing, so what happened was unfortunate.”

The Mexican operation was part of a security plan involving military and local police forces for the soccer tournament, which kicked off last week in Mexico City and is being co-hosted by the United States and Canada through July 19.

The official did not say when the incident occurred or whether any arrests were made.

He said only that several drones had been neutralised in recent days after attempting to enter security zones around stadiums in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey — the tournament’s three host cities in Mexico — as well as team base camps and fan festivals.

In March, Mexican authorities announced a World Cup security operation known as “Plan Kukulkan”, involving about 100,000 personnel from federal and local military and police forces.

The plan includes early warning systems, security measures at stadiums, airports, roads and hotels, and protection protocols for teams, officials and fans.

In Canada, authorities have banned unauthorized drones from flying over World Cup stadiums and several training sites in Vancouver and Toronto as a security measure. The restrictions remain in effect until July 7 — the date of the last game scheduled to be staged in the country.

In 2024, the Canadian women’s national team was accused of using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session in the days leading up to their opening match at the Paris Olympics, triggering a spying scandal that led to sanctions against Canada.

The scandal led to the suspension of two coaching staff members and head coach Bev Priestman, who was subsequently dismissed by Canada Soccer.

The Canadian women’s team — the reigning Olympic champions from the Tokyo Games — was deducted six points from its group standings in France.

Canada Soccer later determined that the incident was not an isolated error but part of a pattern of insufficient oversight within the national teams.

New Delhi, Jun 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday called for a more inclusive and sustainable model of global economic growth, urging world leaders to ensure that the benefits of development reach all sections of society and proposing new international partnerships to strengthen connectivity, trade and skilled mobility. Addressing the Outreach Session on “Reviving a Balanced, Shared and Sustainable Economic Growth for All” at the G7 Summit in Evian, PM Modi said economic growth should be measured not merely by gross domestic product or trade figures but by its impact on people.

“Today, the question of growth is not limited to GDP or trade figures alone. The real question is: Who benefits from this growth? Who is included in it? And what direction is it taking?” the Prime Minister said.

Highlighting India’s development journey, PM Modi said the country’s growth story was rooted in inclusion and democratic empowerment. “India’s growth story is not just about economic development, it is a story of inclusion, scale, and democratic empowerment for all,” he said, adding that when India progresses, “one-sixth of humanity progresses with it.”

The Prime Minister said India’s development over the past 12 years has been guided by the principle of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”, which also shapes the country’s approach to global engagement.

Referring to India’s G20 Presidency, PM Modi recalled the message of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, describing it as an expression of India’s civilisational ethos that views the world as one family.

The Prime Minister highlighted the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) as an example of this vision in action.

“It was in this spirit that we launched the historic India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This strategic corridor connects Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and will accelerate trade, strengthen supply chains, and create new opportunities for investment, employment, and innovation across partner countries,” he said.

Calling for similar initiatives in other regions, PM Modi proposed the creation of the International Mobilisation Partnership for Accelerating Connectivity and Trade (IMPACT), aimed at developing trade, technology and energy corridors across the Global South.

“By bringing together the capital of the G7, the talent of India, and the ownership of countries across the Global South, we may consider establishing the International Mobilisation Partnership for Accelerating Connectivity and Trade (IMPACT),” he said.

The Prime Minister also proposed a Global Skills Partnership to address demographic and workforce challenges facing different parts of the world.

“Today, while developed countries are confronting the challenge of ageing societies, India and other countries of the Global South possess immense potential in terms of young talent, enterprise, and skills,” PM Modi said. He suggested cooperation on skill mapping and trusted skilled mobility to harness this complementarity.

Expressing concern over the impact of the crisis in West Asia, PM Modi said disruptions to fuel, fertiliser and food supply chains were disproportionately affecting developing countries.

“If we are truly committed to strengthening international solidarity, the most vulnerable countries should not be left to bear the burden of these crises alone,” he said, urging international financial institutions to develop mechanisms that help developing economies absorb external shocks and maintain resilience.

The Prime Minister said India’s commitment to global prosperity was reflected in its growing network of trade agreements and its support for economic integration.

“This reflects India’s belief not in fragmentation, but in integration, not in protectionism, but in partnership, and not in uncertainty, but in shared prosperity,” PM Modi said. Concluding his address, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to working with global partners to build a stronger and more resilient world economy. “In the years ahead, India will continue to work together with all of you to strengthen our Shared Economic Resilience and to build a more stable, reliable, and prosperous global economy,” he said.

New Delhi, Jun 17: US President Donald Trump said the proposed agreement between the United States and Iran could be formally signed within days, describing it as a major diplomatic breakthrough that would prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons and could lay the groundwork for broader stability across the Middle East or West Asia.

Speaking at a press conference on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in France, Trump told journalists that the agreement could be signed “tomorrow, maybe the next day.” According to the BBC, he said Iran had agreed that it would “neither produce nor procure a nuclear weapon,” emphasising that the wording was designed to prevent Tehran from both developing nuclear weapons and obtaining them from other countries.

Trump said he hoped the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran would mark the beginning of a wider peace process in the region. Referring to ongoing efforts to ease tensions, he said the agreement could eventually contribute to “a deal all across the Middle East,” while acknowledging that issues such as peace in Lebanon would require further work.

Responding to questions on Israel, Trump described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “good man” but remarked that he “gets a little excited sometimes,” suggesting that Israel could adopt “a little softer touch” in dealing with Hezbollah. He also said a copy of the proposed agreement had been shared with Israel, which he described as a “good partner.”

The US President dismissed media reports that Iran could gain access to a reconstruction fund worth $300 billion as part of the agreement, calling such claims a “fake story.” However, he indicated that Iran could benefit economically if it complied with the terms of the deal and pursued a constructive course.

Trump also warned that the United States could take military action again if Iran failed to uphold its commitments, saying Washington would respond forcefully if Tehran did not adhere to the agreement. The BBC reported that details of the proposed deal have not yet been made public, while the White House has said that some reported versions do not accurately reflect the final text.