India adopted 'cautious approach' due to Trump's 'unpredictable behaviour'

NEW DELHI, Aug 24: India’s cautious approach to media access during high-level meetings with US President Donald Trump is rooted in standard VVIP protocol and concerns over his unpredictable behaviour, government sources said. The clarification came after US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor revealed details of a high-profile interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Government sources said it is standard practice for countries to discuss ground rules for press access before meetings involving senior leaders.

India had also clearly communicated its preference to US organisers ahead of the Modi-Trump meeting.

"Delegations, when meeting the US President, are wary about his unpredictable behaviour, as may be seen from his interactions with the President of South Africa, Ukraine, etc. Thus, the cautious approach by India," the sources said.

The remarks followed Gor’s account of how what was expected to be a brief photo opportunity at the G7 summit on June 17 turned into an unscripted 45-minute press interaction.

According to Gor, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had made only one request before the meeting: media should be allowed to attend the leaders’ opening statements, but there should be no full-fledged question-and-answer session.­�" Z NEWS