Trump promises India visit, signals thaw in US–India ties

US President Donald Trump promised to visit India during a bilateral meeting at the G7 summit in France, signalling a thawing of relations between the two countries.

Trump said it would take place "sometime in the future", adding India and the US were close to agreeing a trade deal.

Relations between the two superpowers came under strain after Trump announced his plans to impose tariffs on India last year.

The killing of three Indian sailors by the US military last week further complicated the relationship.

The sailors were killed in the Gulf of Oman in a strike after the US military targeted a tanker which it accused of violating its blockade on Iranian ports.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the safety of Indian sailors working in the Strait of Hormuz with Trump during their meeting at the G7 summit.

The pair also discussed their efforts to reach a trade deal - negotiations which were set back by a recent US announcement that new import taxes on countries judged not to be doing enough to tackle forced labour, including India.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trump called Modi a "tough negotiator", and pledged to visit the country soon.
India has been pressing Trump to visit for several months now, potentially as part of a meeting with Japan and Australia.

Questioned on the US-India defence relationship, Trump said America would "help" India if they were "attacked".

Referencing Modi, he said: "If anybody attacks that man, we're going to be there... Now, if there's a new leader, I'm not sure about it."

The meeting followed a period of heightened tension between the two nations. Delhi summoned a senior US diplomat twice following the killings of the Indian sailors and strikes on other tankers with Indian crew.

Domestically, Modi has been criticised by opposition parties for not directly condemning the US's actions and demanded that he raise the matter with Trump.

-BBC