PM Modi leaves for Italy to attend the G-7 summit

PM Modi leaves for Italy to attend the G-7 summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to Italy to attend the annual summit of the G-7 group. The main focus of this summit will be to deal with the global geopolitical turmoil. Modi left for Italy on Thursday with a high-level delegation to participate in the contact session of the summit to be held on June 14. This is his first foreign visit after taking over as Prime Minister for the third term. The issue of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza is likely to dominate the G-7 summit to be held from June 13 to 15 at the luxurious resort of Borgo Egnazia in the Apulia region of Italy.  

India reiterated on Wednesday that the best option to resolve the Ukraine conflict is dialogue and diplomacy. When asked about the Ukraine conflict, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “We have always believed that dialogue and diplomacy are the best options to resolve it.” He also recalled Prime Minister Modi’s statement in September 2022 that “today is not the era of war.” Kwatra spoke about the consequences of the war, including the impact on the availability of food, fuel, and fertilizer, challenges to global supply chains, and disruptions to the global economy. 

“We have always been at the forefront of talking about not only the need for dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the conflict but also how the conflict is impacting the priorities and interests of developing countries,” Vinay said. “We have always been at the forefront of providing humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and assistance to the global south affected by conflict to mitigate the challenges faced by the global south due to the conflict,” he added. The foreign secretary said India will continue to share its perspective with world leaders during the summit and emphasize the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to deal with the situation. 

Kwatra said Modi will participate in a connectivity session with other countries on June 14. This session will focus on issues related to artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. The Foreign Secretary said that Prime Minister Modi’s participation in the G-7 summit will provide an opportunity to discuss the results of the G-20 summit held under India’s chairmanship last year. The Foreign Secretary said that India’s regular participation in the G-7 summit reflects the growing recognition of New Delhi’s efforts to deal with global challenges. 

Kwatra said Modi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. He said, “In the meeting, both the Prime Ministers are expected to review the entire aspect of bilateral relations and give guidelines for the next steps.” Modi is also likely to hold bilateral meetings with some other leaders. When asked whether the Prime Minister will hold any bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kwatra did not give a direct answer and said that Modi’s program is still being finalized.