PM Modi meets several global leaders including UK PM, French President on sidelines of G7 Summit

New Delhi, June 14: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy. Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude to President Zelenskyy for his warm congratulations on Modi’s re-election for a third term.

The leaders engaged in a productive discussion focused on enhancing bilateral relations and exchanged views on the current situation in Ukraine and the upcoming Peace Summit to be hosted by Switzerland.

In a message on X, Prime Minister Modi stated, “Had a very productive meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. India is eager to further cement bilateral relations with Ukraine. Regarding the ongoing hostilities, reiterated that India believes in a human-centric approach and believes that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy @ZelenskyyUA.”

Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s commitment to promoting a peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. He assured President Zelenskyy that India would continue to support efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful solution. Both leaders agreed to maintain regular contact to further these objectives.

ADVANCING INDIA-FRANCE PARTNERSHIP
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron convened a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy. Their discussions spanned a broad spectrum of topics, including defence collaboration, artificial intelligence, critical technology, and space exploration. Additionally, Prime Minister Modi extended his best wishes to President Macron for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi remarked, “Had an excellent meeting with my friend President @EmmanuelMacron. This is our fourth meeting in one year, indicating the priority we accord to strong India-French ties. 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 begin next month.”

ENHANCING INDIA-UK COOPERATION
Prime Minister Modi also met with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the G7 Summit in Italy. Modi reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in his third term. Their conversation explored the potential deepening of ties in sectors like semiconductors, technology, and trade, along with reinforcing defence cooperation.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal tweeted, “PM @narendramodi and PM @RishiSunak of the UK held a bilateral meeting in Italy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. They talked about the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, enhancing industrial cooperation in the defence sector, boosting trade and commerce, and more.”

OTHER KEY BILATERAL MEETINGS
Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Reflecting on India’s role in the G7, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stated, that India’s regular participation at the G7 summit points to increasing recognition and contribution of the efforts that India has been making in trying to resolve global challenges, including those of peace, security, development, and environment preservation. It acquires salience in the context of India’s recently held, not so recent, presidency of the G20, where India took a leading role in building global consensus on several contentious issues.
It also provides a timely opportunity to follow up on outcomes of the G20 summit held under India’s presidency last year and deliberate on issues which are significant for the Global South as India represents the interests of the Global South.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Apulia Italy to attend the 50th edition of the G7 Summit, from June 13 to June 15. The summit is being held at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort. India has been invited to the G7 Summit as an Outreach country and this is PM Modi’s first overseas visit since he took oath as Prime Minister for the third straight term. Besides India, Italy has invited leaders from 11 developing countries in Africa, South America and the Indo-Pacific region to attend the G7 Summit.

PRIME MINISTER’S DEPARTURE STATEMENT
Ahead of his departure, Prime Minister Modi stated, “At the invitation of Prime Minister H.E. Ms. Giorgia Meloni, I am travelling to the Apulia region in Italy to participate in the G7 Outreach Summit on June 14, 2024.” He continued, “I am glad that my first visit in the third consecutive term is 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 into our bilateral agenda. We remain committed to consolidating the India-Italy strategic partnership and bolstering cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean regions.”
Outlining the agenda for the summit, he added, “During the discussions at the Outreach session, the focus will be on artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. It will be an opportunity to bring greater synergy between the outcomes of the G20 Summit held under India’s Presidency and the forthcoming G7 Summit and deliberate on issues crucial for the Global South. I am also looking forward to meeting other leaders participating in the Summit.”