Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the high-level Gaza peace summit in Egypt today, despite a personal invitation from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, sending Minister of State Kirti Vardhan Singh instead as India’s representative.
About Egypt Gaza Peace Summit
Over 20 world leaders are gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh for the summit co-chaired by US President Donald Trump and El-Sisi to finalize the framework for a US-brokered Gaza peace plan and discuss post-war reconstruction.
Why PM Modi skipped Gaza Peace Summit?
The primary consideration behind PM Modi’s absence appears to be Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s attendance. New Delhi likely seeks to avoid having Modi share a stage with his Pakistani counterpart following the April 22 Pahalgam attack by Pakistan-backed terrorists that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor triggered sharp tensions. India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and closed the Attari-Wagah checkpost among other diplomatic measures against Pakistan.
At last month’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China, Modi, with Sharif present, flagged “certain nations” backing terrorism: “India has suffered the brunt of terrorism for four decades and, following the Pahalgam attack, it is natural to raise whether the open support of terrorism by some countries can be acceptable to us.”
Is Donald Trump also a reason?
Another factor is likely avoiding situations where Trump could claim credit for India-Pakistan reconciliation. The US President has repeatedly asserted he brokered a ceasefire between the countries after Operation Sindoor, claims India has rejected, stating the ceasefire resulted from direct military talks.
Indian diplomats would be wary of Trump orchestrating photo opportunities similar to his recent Armenia-Azerbaijan summit, serving his Nobel Peace Prize ambitions.
Bilateral Relations
India-US relations, strained after Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on India for continuing Russian oil purchases, have recently improved. Modi reportedly refused Trump’s calls four times after tariff imposition but spoke with him on his 75th birthday last month.
On October 9, Modi called Trump congratulating him on the Gaza peace plan while reviewing bilateral trade negotiations progress.
India likely wants to avoid providing Trump another opportunity to claim mediation credit at an event where both Indian and Pakistani leaders would be present, maintaining its position that regional conflicts require direct bilateral resolution.
