Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to India on Saturday after attending the 50th G7 summit in Apulia, Italy, where he was joined by several other world leaders. Upon his return, PM Modi highlighted the many fruitful dialogues he had on key global issues under the G7 platform. He also emphasized the strengthening of India’s ties with the participating countries and his experience during the bilateral talks he held on the sidelines of the global summit.
Here are some of his notable meetings:
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni: PM Modi met his Italian counterpart, who was also the host of the summit. The two held detailed discussions about commerce, energy, defense, security cooperation, and telecom.
- British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: During their meeting, PM Modi reiterated his intention to strengthen the strategic alliance between India and the United Kingdom during the third term of his administration. Both leaders also expressed satisfaction with the ongoing Free Trade Agreements (FTA).
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Despite close ties with Russia, PM Modi did not hesitate to express support for Ukraine. During their discussion, Modi informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that “dialogue and diplomacy” are the paths to peace and that India would continue to use all of its resources to promote a peaceful resolution to the situation in Ukraine.
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: PM Modi also spoke with Justin Trudeau of Canada amid heightened tensions between the two countries over the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year. They were observed extending greetings to one another during their contact. The details of what transpired between Modi and Trudeau are not yet available.
- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida: The Prime Minister also spoke with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, where they talked about the significance of “a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.” Modi stated, “Our nations look forward to working together in defense, technology, semiconductors, clean energy, and digital technology. We also wish to advance ties in infrastructure and cultural linkages.”
- Pope Francis: PM Modi and Pope Francis met with a much-anticipated, warm embrace at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit, where they joined other world leaders to deliberate on the topics of Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. PM Modi was seen in a light-hearted exchange with the 87-year-old head of the worldwide Catholic Church, who was taken around the table in a wheelchair to greet the world leaders gathered at the summit venue, Borgo Egnazia.