At G7 Summit, PM Narendra Modi Calls for Rebuilding Global Trust, Highlights West Asia Crisis and Strait of Hormuz Concerns
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday stressed that mutual trust has become the world’s most valuable strategic asset, warning that the international community today faces not a shortage of resources but a deep deficit of trust.
Addressing leaders at the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, eastern France, Modi said that the future of global partnerships and international cooperation depends on restoring confidence and credibility among nations.
Speaking in the presence of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Modi underlined that trust now carries greater significance than minerals, technology or markets.
He emphasised that genuine partnerships can flourish only when countries have confidence in one another’s intentions and commitments.
Modi Raises Concerns Over West Asia Conflict and Strait of Hormuz Disruptions
During his address, the Prime Minister welcomed ongoing efforts aimed at ending the crisis in West Asia.
At the same time, he expressed concern over the human and economic consequences of the conflict, particularly the disruption of maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes.
Modi noted that several friendly countries in the region have suffered significant losses of lives and property due to the ongoing hostilities.
He said the disruptions in maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz have adversely affected global trade, energy supplies and the world economy.
The Prime Minister also referred to the deaths of Indian nationals, including seafarers, during the conflict.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the seafarers who keep global maritime trade functioning and connect nations through international shipping routes.
Maritime passages must remain secure, and those working at sea should be able to perform their duties without fear,” he said.
Over the last three and a half months, at least 13 Indian nationals, including three seafarers, have lost their lives in separate incidents linked to the regional conflict.
Ships carrying Indian crew members have also come under attack. In one such incident near Oman, three Indian seafarers died following an attack involving the US Navy.
In response, India lodged an official protest with the Trump administration after summoning the US Charge d’Affaires on two occasions and raising the issue during a telephone conversation between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Dialogue and Diplomacy Are the Only Path to Lasting Peace
Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s longstanding position that enduring solutions to international conflicts can only be achieved through dialogue, diplomacy and cooperation.
He said global partnerships and international solidarity acquire meaning only when countries work together to address common challenges.
“India firmly believes that lasting solutions to tensions and conflicts unfolding across different parts of the world can only emerge through dialogue, diplomacy and international cooperation,” Modi said.
His remarks came during the summit where he also met US President Donald Trump.
The meeting marked their first face-to-face interaction since Modi’s visit to the White House in February 2025, although the two leaders have spoken several times over the telephone during the past sixteen months.
The two leaders are also scheduled to hold a structured bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.
India-US Relations Enter a New Phase
India and the United States have been attempting to repair bilateral ties after they experienced considerable strain in 2025.
Relations came under pressure following President Trump’s claims that Washington had mediated between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, as well as the US decision to impose substantial tariffs on Indian exports.
Despite these challenges, both countries are currently working towards finalising a bilateral trade agreement and rebuilding strategic engagement.
The G7 summit itself is taking place at a crucial moment, as the United States and Iran have reportedly agreed on a framework to end the conflict in West Asia.
The regional crisis and concerns over the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz have significantly affected global energy supplies and economic stability.
An Interconnected World Requires Stronger Partnerships
Addressing the Outreach Session titled “Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity,” Modi observed that today’s world is more interconnected and interdependent than at any other point in history.
He noted that a country’s energy security, food security, healthcare systems, cyber resilience and economic prosperity are no longer determined solely by domestic factors.
Instead, global mobility, digital data, financial flows and technological advancements have tightly bound nations together.
“In such an interconnected world, partnerships naturally become more important. However, partnerships can succeed only when trust forms their foundation,” he said.
According to Modi, trust today is the most critical strategic asset.
“It is trust that determines whether technology and supply chains will serve the global good or be weaponised.
It is trust that ensures development opportunities are not restricted to only a handful of countries. It is trust that enables international institutions to fulfil the aspirations of all nations,” he said.
COVID-19 Exposed the Fragility of Global Solidarity
Reflecting on modern history, the Prime Minister said humanity endured two devastating world wars during the last century and subsequently created global institutions intended to foster peace, stability and prosperity.
These institutions, he noted, were built upon mutual trust.
However, Modi warned that the confidence painstakingly built over decades by successive generations is gradually eroding.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the weaknesses and limitations of global solidarity.
“The pandemic held a mirror before the world and revealed how fragile and hollow many claims of trust and cooperation actually were,” he said.
According to Modi, the international community today suffers not from a scarcity of resources but from a deficit of trust.
“The future of our partnerships depends on rebuilding this trust,” he emphasised.
Quoting former US President Ronald Reagan’s famous phrase, “Trust, but verify,” Modi said the principle remains highly relevant in today’s world and underlined the responsibility of present generations to establish a trusted and rules-based international order suited to contemporary realities.
India’s Vision: Partnership Rooted in Equality and Dignity
Prime Minister Modi reiterated that India has always viewed the world as one family and believes that development becomes meaningful only when it aligns with the aspirations and priorities of people.
He said this philosophy also shapes India’s international partnerships.
Recalling India’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic, Modi pointed out that India supplied medicines and vaccines to more than 150 countries.
“India believes that the true measure of partnership lies not in what we build for others but in what we empower others to build for themselves,” he said.
Voice of the Global South
Articulating the aspirations of developing countries, Modi said the Global South is seeking genuine partnerships rather than merely assistance.
According to him, developing nations want to be active participants in global growth and decision-making processes, rather than passive beneficiaries of aid.
He urged the international community to move beyond the traditional “donor-recipient” approach and instead embrace relationships based on equality and collaboration.
“We must walk alongside developing nations, not merely stand near them. Partnerships should be founded on dignity and empowerment rather than dependency.
Through such an approach, we can build a strong and sustainable future for generations to come,” he said.
On the sidelines of the summit, Prime Minister Modi also held meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, further reinforcing India’s diplomatic outreach and engagement with key global partners.
