G7 Summit 2024: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Apulia, Italy, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit 2024. He is scheduled to hold meetings with several foreign leaders in the day, including British PM Rishi Sunak, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.
The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen partnership including in areas of defence, nuclear, space, education, climate action, digital public infrastructure, critical technologies, connectivity and culture. They also exchanged views on key global and regional issues, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. The two leaders last met in January when the French President visited India to attend the 75th Republic Day of India.
"Our talks covered numerous subjects such as defence, security, technology, AI, Blue Economy and more. We also discussed how to encourage innovation and research among the youth. I conveyed my best wishes to him on the hosting of the Paris Olympics, which begins next month," said PM Modi on X.
The G7 Summit in Italy
The Group of Seven, dubbed the G7 Summit, kicked off on Thursday, with host Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, world leader US President Joe Biden, UK PM Rishi Sunak, and others in full attendance at a luxurious resort in Borgo Egnazia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who received the invitation for the grand event by his Italian counterpart, Meloni, reached on Friday morning with a high-level delegation. This was PM Modi's first overseas trip in his 'historic' third term.
Other leaders who graced the event included Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Earlier in his departure statement, Modi said he was "glad" that his first foreign visit in his third consecutive term as Prime Minister was to Italy for the G7 Summit.
“I warmly recall my visit to Italy for the G20 Summit in 2021. Prime Minister Meloni's two visits to India last year were instrumental in infusing momentum and depth in our bilateral agenda. We remain committed to consolidate the India-Italy strategic partnership, and bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean regions,” his statement reads.
What is the agenda for G7 Summit Day 2?
The industrialised nations of the world discussed issues of migration followed by the Indo-Pacific and economic security on Friday, the second day of the three-day G7 Summit in the southern Italian region of Apulia ahead of the Outreach session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean that will be attended by the Indian leader.
PM Modi, who was received by Indian Ambassador to Italy Vani Rao as he arrived for his first overseas visit after being sworn in for a third term as PM, will hold bilateral meetings with world leaders ahead of a customary G7 “family photo”. He will also attend summit addressed by Pope Francis, who is the the first head of the Holy See – the Vatican-based government of the Catholic Church – to address the summit and is also expected to hold bilateral talks with him.
The Pope will address the session on the promises and perils of Artificial Intelligence and is also expected to make a plea for peace across global conflict zones. Heads of the governments of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Jordan, Kenya, and Mauritania – in its capacity as chair of the African Union, Tunisia, Turkiye and the UAE are among the other outreach nations joining India for the session on AI.
Day one of the summit was dominated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict as the leaders agreed on a US proposal to back a $50-billion loan to Kyiv utilising frozen Russian assets. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had announced up to 242 million pounds in bilateral assistance to Ukraine, to support immediate humanitarian, energy and stabilisation needs, and lay the foundations for longer-term economic and social recovery and reconstruction. India has reiterated its stance on “dialogue and diplomacy” as the best approach.
India on Wednesday reiterated that the best option to resolve the Ukraine conflict is dialogue and diplomacy as Prime Minister Narendra Modi travels to Italy to attend the annual summit of G7 grouping that is set to focus on dealing with global geopolitical turmoil.
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