World suffers from shortage of trust: PM Modi to G7 leaders

With a message that trust was in short supply globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a session with the Group of Seven (G7) countries and others on “Forging New Partnerships and Rebuilding International Solidarity”. In addition to the G7 and India, other partner countries – Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, South Korea – participated in these discussions along with the World Bank and African Development Bank. Mr. Modi met U.S. President Donald Trump for the first time since February 2025 at the meeting.

The host country France’s intention for the session was to build a fairer and more effective system of international partnerships. Some of the sessions have reportedly been branded in a way that would hold Mr. Trump’s interest.

G7 Summit updates on June 16, 2026

Mr. Modi summarised his messages to the gathering on social media. “Mutual trust is the most important strategic asset today. But, sadly, today, the world does not suffer from a shortage of resources…it suffers from a shortage of trust,” he wrote on X. Mr. Modi said the future of partnerships was based on re-building trust and urged countries to move beyond the donor-recipient paradigm and work as equals in the development context. India has, in recent years, sought to play a leadership role for middle income and poorer countries – the Global South.

“Emphasised that the Global South has immense expectations from the world. More than support, it seeks partnership,” Mr. Modi wrote, adding that he had highlighted India’s efforts in Africa during the G7 session, including its focus on training, water, agriculture, energy and capacity building.

India, however, did not sign its name to a communique on restructuring the development finance ecosystem which the G7 and Kenya and South Korea supported, while putting its name to a call for coordinated response to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak and a roadmap to fight cancer.

Videos showed Mr. Modi and Mr. Trump shaking hands before the meeting, during which they sat next to each other. Earlier, the two men – whose relationship has known better days – did not greet each other during a ‘family photo’ of the gathered leaders. While the Prime Minister and the President have spoken more than once on the phone since they met in person in February 2025, India-U.S. ties have frayed under the weight of several issues, most recently the killing of three Indian sailors in a U.S. strike on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman.

Prior to this, Mr. Trump’s insistence that he had brought about a ceasefire to the four-day armed conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025, the protracted negotiation of a preliminary trade deal – that has not been signed yet – and other issues such as restrictions on visas for skilled professionals as well as racism against Indians in the U.S. have challenged the bilateral relationship at several levels. The two men will hold bilateral talks on Wednesday afternoon as the summit winds down.