PM modi (Narendra Modi )has departed for Italy, where he is scheduled to arrive around 2:30 am tomorrow to participate in the G7 summit. This marks India’s 11th invitation to the summit and PM Modi’s fifth consecutive attendance. During his visit, he will meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The G7 summit, running from June 13 to 15, will be held at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort in Italy’s Apulia region. Leaders from the seven member countries—the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and France—along with representatives from the European Union, have already started arriving. India has been invited as an outreach country.
This trip will be PM Modi’s first international visit since beginning his third consecutive term last Thursday, and he is expected to stay in Italy for 24 hours. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra stated that the summit provides an opportunity for PM Modi to engage with other world leaders on issues significant to both India and the Global South. Modi’s agenda includes a bilateral meeting with PM Meloni to discuss the full spectrum of bilateral relations.
Ahead of his departure, PM Modi expressed his pleasure at visiting Italy for the G7 Summit, recalling his previous visit for the G20 Summit in 2021. He noted the importance of PM Meloni’s visits to India last year in strengthening bilateral ties. The Outreach session discussions will focus on artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean, aiming to create synergy between the G20 outcomes under India’s presidency and the G7 Summit.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan mentioned that US President Joe Biden expects to meet PM Modi at the summit, though the specifics of their interaction remain flexible. Additionally, there is potential for a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, which would be significant given the strained relations following Trudeau’s accusation last September that India was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
The summit’s agenda will likely be dominated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the situation in Gaza, with discussions on increasing funding for Ukraine, potentially using seized Russian assets.
Italy is India’s fourth-largest trading partner in the European Union, with bilateral trade amounting to $15 billion. Kwatra highlighted Italy’s participation in several global initiatives led by India, including the International Solar Alliance, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative, Global Biofuel Alliance, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economy Minister dor (IMEEC).
