India, June 17 -- US President Donald Trump offered a strong public endorsement of India during his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G7 Summit in France, stating that Washington would support New Delhi if the country faced an external attack while Modi remained in office.

The remarks came after bilateral discussions between the two leaders, during which they reviewed trade, economic cooperation and regional security issues.

Speaking to reporters following his meeting with the Prime Minister, Trump described the discussions as productive and reaffirmed the close relationship between the United States and India.

The US President then appeared to refer directly to the Indian Prime Minister, adding, "If anybody attacks that...