NEW DELHI, June 10 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi is likely to hold bilateral talks with U.S.

President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Group of 7

summit, with trade, visas and energy cooperation set to be high

on the agenda, an Indian government source said.

The June 15 to 17 summit, in the French town of

​Evian-les-Bains, will bring together leaders from the world's

⁠major economies, including Trump, alongside other ​high-level

delegations from countries including India.

Modi is set to start his five-day visit from June 13 and

will travel to Slovakia after attending the G7 meeting.

"The prime minister is expected to hold talks on the trade

ties, energy cooperation, and also take up the issue of H-1B

visas," the source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

A meeting between the two leaders would come at a delicate

moment in ties between New Delhi and Washington, which have been

strained by U.S. tariffs on Indian goods and Trump's repeated

assertions - which India denies - that he intervened to end

India's brief conflict last year with Pakistan.

Recent high-level engagement, including U.S. Secretary of

State Marco Rubio's visit to India last month, has helped ease

some of the tension, with the two sides discussing trade, visas,

maritime security, energy supplies and the Middle East.

Trade talks between New Delhi and Washington are moving

towards the first tranche of a bilateral trade agreement which

could be concluded by mid-July, India's Trade Minister Piyush

Goyal said last week.

India is pushing for preferential tariff treatment from the

United States as part of negotiations on an interim trade deal.

Washington has also proposed an additional 12.5% tariff on

imports from India and several other countries, alleging the use

of forced labour - which India has rejected.

"The talks on the additional tariff have not concluded yet

and we are hopeful that we will get competitive rates," a second

Indian government source said.

India's foreign ministry and the U.S. embassy in India did

not respond to requests for comment.

The tightening of requirements for H-1B visas is also set to

feature in the likely Modi-Trump discussion, given its

implications for thousands of Indians working in the United

States, the first source said.

The source added that Modi and Trump may also discuss

potential energy cooperation involving the United States and

Venezuela.