Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Apulia, Italy, on Thursday (local time) to participate in the G7 Summit's Outreach session. He is anticipated to hold meetings with various leaders on the event's sidelines on Friday. This marks his first international trip since beginning his record third term in office.
Before leaving for Italy, PM Modi expressed his pleasure, noting that his initial international trip during his third consecutive term as Prime Minister was to the European nation for the G7 Summit.
PM Modi at the G7 Summit: What to Anticipate
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a video message from Brindisi airport, announced that Prime Minister Modi will be speaking at the G7 Summit's Outreach session.
"The Prime Minister of India has landed at Brindisi Airport in Italy to attend the G7 Summit. Tomorrow (Friday) is a busy day for him, with multiple bilateral meetings with global leaders scheduled. Additionally, he will be addressing the Outreach session of the G7 Summit," he stated.
Before his departure, Prime Minister Modi highlighted that India would concentrate on artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean during the summit's outreach session. He also mentioned that key issues important to the Global South would be addressed.
India held the G20 Summit in Delhi last September, where global leaders gathered during the Italian presidency meeting in Apulia. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will host Modi as the Council of Ministers of Italy on Friday.
Italy, currently leading the G7, is hosting the meeting of the group comprising seven prominent advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US, alongside the European Union.
Italy invited India to participate in the summit as an outreach country. This marks PM Modi's fifth consecutive attendance at the G7 summit, with India having participated in ten previous summits.
During the summit, Prime Minister Modi has plans for a one-on-one meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Additionally, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan indicated that PM Modi is expected to have an encounter with US President Joe Biden during the summit's sidelines.
The focus will be on the Russia-Ukraine conflict as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended discussions on Thursday. India emphasized the importance of "dialogue and diplomacy," while Sunak is advocating for robust measures to support Ukraine unequivocally.
During his pre-visit media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra referred to Prime Minister Modi's remark from September 2022 about the current era not being one of war. Kwatra added that India will maintain its practice of discussing its viewpoints with global leaders during the summit.
In her introductory speech at the G7 leaders' summit on Thursday, Meloni stated that selecting southern Italy as the location was intended to convey a powerful message to the countries of the Global South.
The G7 leaders present at Thursday's meeting included UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel.
In addition to India, Italy has extended invitations to leaders from 11 developing nations across Africa, South America, and the Indo-Pacific region to participate in the G7 Summit.
