00:00This is the moment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump holding hand, meeting.
00:06This is the first handshake of both the leaders on the big table of T7 summit.
00:12In fact, all the leaders, there is an interpreter as well.
00:17Prime Minister Narendra Modi, greeting US President Donald Trump.
00:22So ahead of a big formal meeting and in fact Prime Minister Modi is sitting close to US President Donald
00:28Trump
00:28and in fact in between French President Emmanuel Macron and as you can see...
00:35The chat is still going on Pranay, I still see that between the interpreter there is a conversation continuing between
00:40Prime Minister Modi and Donald Trump.
00:43So you see essentially Donald Trump as soon as he saw Prime Minister Modi getting up from his seat, there
00:48was a handshake, there was a hug.
00:50And so the two leaders meeting after 16 months, you can see the world is still present.
00:54Let's see if we can cut across live right now. I'm guessing we're going to see the opening statement by
00:58President Macron.
00:59Hello?
00:59Sorry.
01:00Sorry.
01:00Sorry.
01:01Ah.
01:03Ah.
01:03Sir.
01:04Sir.
01:04Sir.
01:05Sir.
01:07Pffait.
01:08Non.
01:09Merci beaucoup.
01:11Merci à la presse.
01:12Thank you very much.
01:17Merci.
01:18Thank you, Price.
01:20Thank you, Price.
01:22Thank you, Price.
01:31Thank you for the media to leave the room and for the leaders to get down to business.
01:40Thank you, colleagues.
01:42So now we have a new session on new partnerships.
01:50Thank you very much.
01:52I'm going to ask each other.
01:56Thank you very much.
02:00Okay, so that's a closed-door meeting that's currently taking place.
02:04But I want to put full focus on those images that we received of Donald Trump and Prime Minister Modi
02:11meeting for the first time in 16 months.
02:13And it sets the stage perfectly for the bilateral that will be taking place tomorrow.
02:17That's the image right there.
02:19Take a look at this.
02:20Donald Trump seated, notices Prime Minister Modi immediately gets up to shake his hand.
02:25There's also a clear interaction between the two leaders, a conversation that's had.
02:31And you can see President Trump there also patting Prime Minister Modi on his shoulder.
02:36The interpreter continuing the conversation between the two.
02:39Remember that this will be carried forward in a common bilateral tomorrow.
02:43But in all likelihood, this is just exchanging of pleasantries.
02:46It also tells you really where India's position is on the world stage.
02:50That in a group of seven, which India is not a member of, by the way, we've been invited along
02:54with other countries like Brazil, like South Korea.
02:57But besides that, you've got clearly the spotlight on India.
03:01Seated right next to Donald Trump in the photo op, in front of, in fact, the row you had right
03:09next to Macron, to his right, President Trump, to his left, Prime Minister Modi.
03:13But that's the moment.
03:14That one minute glimpse of the conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi.
03:19To be a fly on the wall in that kind of an instance really would be everything.
03:24But we'll have to make do with the images that we have right now.
03:27Gaurav Sarvant is live with us.
03:29Gaurav, first glimpse in 16 months, the two leaders meeting for the first time.
03:34You can see the warmth between them.
03:36But obviously, this paves the way and sets the stage for that all-important bilateral tomorrow.
03:42The all-important bilateral is what everyone will be looking out for.
03:45So, of course, there's a lot of commentary around the images right now here at, if you want, the two
03:52leaders meeting for the first time after 16 months.
03:55Though there have been conversations directly and indirectly.
03:58The relationship has actually been through a roller coaster from the high in February when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had
04:04visited Washington, D.C.
04:06The party amongst the first of the bloc seeking an early trade deal with the United States of America to
04:11the tariffs of 25%, to the punitive tariffs of another 25% for buying Russia oil.
04:17To the comments, rather uncharitable comments made by President Trump in the wake of Operation Sindur.
04:23And his, you know, fondness for Pakistan's Asim Munir, his favorite field marshal.
04:29So, the relationship has seen several ups and downs.
04:32And very recently, the killing of three Indian sailors by U.S. forces.
04:37Of course, not on an Indian flagship.
04:40Multiple issues that the two heads of state and government would be discussing in the next 24 hours.
04:45However, the big challenge, will the India-America relationship be brought back on an even keel?
04:52Very recently, when I met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, I put that question to him on the trade deal.
04:57And he very emphatically said by end of July, you should have the first tranche of the trade deal in
05:03place.
05:03And it would be, in his words, advantage India.
05:07That is something that India is insisting be a part of the trade agreement.
05:12That should any country around, especially India's competitors, get a favorable deal.
05:19That India should have the competitive edge in that deal.
05:22So, a lot of those conversations, perhaps, will be taking place today.
05:26And then tomorrow, when the bilateral takes place, Akshita.
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