Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France on Wednesday, their first face-to-face meeting since Modi visited Washington in February 2025.Opening the talks, Modi said it was a pleasure to meet Trump at the summit. "We had an extremely productive meeting in Washington last year, and since then we have given new speed and new energy to our relations, and we are working together on a number of areas," he said.Also read: PM Narendra Modi lines up middle-power talks ahead of Trump meeting at G7Modi also commended Trump for his role in West Asia. "Thanks to your efforts, Mr President, new hope for peace and stability in the region has been rekindled, and I am confident that this will lead to a long-standing peace in the region," he said.On the Strait of Hormuz, Modi said both leaders were aligned. "You and I agree that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is vital for the global economy. India has consistently emphasised the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation, and we should work together and place a particular emphasis on that," he said.Opening the talks, Modi said it was a pleasure to meet Trump at the summit. "We had an extremely productive meeting in Washington last year, and since then we have given new speed and new energy to our relations, and we are working together on a number of areas," he said. Modi also commended Trump for his role in West Asia. "Thanks to your efforts, Mr President, new hope for peace and stability in the region has been rekindled, and I am confident that this will lead to a long-standing peace in the region," he said.On the Strait of Hormuz, Modi said both leaders were aligned. "You and I agree that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is vital for the global economy. India has consistently emphasised the importance of ensuring freedom of navigation, and we should work together and place a particular emphasis on that," he said.The meeting came at a crucial juncture in India-US relations, with both countries engaged in negotiations over a long-awaited trade agreement even as tensions linger over tariffs, India's energy ties with Russia, and the deaths of Indian sailors in recent US military actions near the Strait of Hormuz.Modi also raised the issue of Indian seafarers directly with Trump. "Mr President, you are aware that across the world, Indian seafarers in hundreds of thousands are working and performing their duties across global maritime trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, and their safety is of utmost importance to us," he said.Acknowledging Trump's role in the West Asia ceasefire, Modi said the issue of seafarers would now receive priority. "You made tremendous efforts towards reaching this understanding and this agreement, and I am confident that the issue of seafarers will receive the highest priority during the implementation of this agreement," he said.Trump praised Modi effusively at the meeting. "He's one of the toughest, actually. You look at this man — he looks so nice, he's like an angel, but actually he's as tough as he's a killer," Trump said, adding, "I'll give you a lesson."Earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi and President Trump met and exchanged greetings on the sidelines of a G7 Summit outreach session in France's Evian.Both leaders shook hands and held a brief conversation ahead of the G7 working session on 'Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity', which is being attended by the G7 countries, partner nations, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank.India is attending the G7 Summit as an invited partner country, alongside Brazil, Kenya, South Korea and the UAE. The G7 comprises France, the US, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan and the UK. This is India's 13th participation at the G7 Summit and Prime Minister Modi's 7th consecutive participation at the summit.