Macron, Sunak and Zelensky… PM Modi’s meeting with world leaders in Italy

Macron, Sunak and Zelensky… PM Modi’s meeting with world leaders in Italy

Italy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, British PM Rishi Sunak, and Ukrainian President Zelensky in Apulia on the sidelines of the G7 summit. Before the meeting, President Macron met PM Modi warmly. Macron hugged PM Modi as soon as he saw him. After this, both leaders inquired about each other’s well-being. This is the first meeting of Modi-Macron after becoming Prime Minister for a record third time. France is a strategic partner of India. Therefore, both countries held talks towards strengthening their bilateral relations. 

After this, PM Modi also met British PM Rishi Sunak and Ukrainian President Zelensky very warmly. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, it is believed that the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and issues of common interest. The two leaders met during the G7 summit in the southern Italian resort town. Sunak and Modi last met in September last year at the G20 summit in New Delhi, when they agreed to expedite the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks before India’s general elections. 

Now, however, the trade talks are expected to resume only after the new British government is elected on July 4. The India-UK FTA talks, which began in January 2022, aim to significantly increase bilateral trade. At the same time, talks were held with Zelensky on the solution to the Russia-Ukraine war. The Prime Minister encouraged finding a solution to the Ukraine war through dialogue. Apart from the G7, he will also hold bilateral talks with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. On Meloni’s invitation, PM Modi has arrived in Italy to attend the G-7 meeting.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday and is believed to have discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties and global issues. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in the southern Italian city of Bari. This is Modi’s first foreign visit after becoming Prime Minister for the third time this month. The two leaders last met in January, when the French President attended India’s 75th Republic Day celebrations. The two leaders, during their last meeting, reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, which has been outlined in ‘Horizon 2047’ and other documents of the July 2023 summit. The ‘Horizon 2047’ roadmap sets an ambitious and comprehensive program in terms of bilateral relations for 2047, the centenary year of India’s independence. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Ukrainian President Zelensky. It is understood that Zelensky briefed Modi on various aspects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Modi had also met Zelensky in May last year on the sidelines of the G7 summit held in Hiroshima. India has been saying that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. 

At the G7 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet many world leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and US President Joe Biden. After reaching Italy, PM Modi wrote on his X handle that our goal is to solve global challenges and promote international cooperation for a brighter future. The issues of the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza are expected to dominate the G7 summit to be held from June 13 to 15 at the luxurious resort of Borgo Egnazia in the Apulia region of Italy. Before leaving for the summit, PM Modi said that he was happy that he was going to Italy on his first foreign tour. 

Modi said, “The discussions in the outreach session will focus on artificial intelligence (AI), energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean region.” He said, “This will be an opportunity to bring greater synergy between the outcomes of the G20 Summit chaired by India and the upcoming G7 Summit and to discuss issues important for the Global South. 

PM Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Meloni on the sidelines of the G7 meeting. The Prime Minister said, “Prime Minister Meloni’s two visits to India last year played an important role in giving momentum and depth to our bilateral agenda.” He said, “We are committed to strengthening the India-Italy strategic partnership and increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean regions.” The Prime Minister is likely to hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.