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The G7 Summit was held in Apulia, Italy, following the Indian elections and the European Elections. Mr. Modi was re-elected as the Prime Minister of India for the third time, and Giorgia Meloni won the European Union Elections.
During the summit, Prime Minister Modi took center stage and engaged in discussions with several world leaders on the sidelines. Some of the main highlights included his interactions with US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and many others.
Here’s what PM Modi discussed with various leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit:
Japan PM Fumio Kishida: Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned that India and Japan are eager to collaborate in defense, technology, semiconductors, clean energy, and digital technology. Japan is planning to invest 5 trillion yen in India from 2022 to 2027 and enhance manufacturing cooperation through the India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: During their meeting at the G7 summit in Italy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of India's support for a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict through "dialogue and diplomacy." They also discussed India's participation in the upcoming Swiss peace conference for Ukraine, with Modi reiterating India's commitment to a "human-centric" approach to resolving the conflict.
President Joe Biden: After his exchanges with Biden, Prime Minister Modi said, “India and the US will keep working together to further global good. It’s always a pleasure to meet @POTUS @JoeBiden. India and the USA will keep working together to further global good.”
The Modi-Biden conversation took place nearly seven months after Washington alleged an Indian link to a foiled plot to murder Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. India has already appointed a high-level probe team to investigate these allegations.
French President Emmanuel Macron: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French
President Emmanuel Macron discussed India-France relations under the ‘Horizon 2047’ initiative. They covered cooperation in defense, nuclear energy, space, education, climate action, digital infrastructure, connectivity, and cultural initiatives. They also emphasized strategic defense cooperation focusing on ‘Make in India’ and pledged to expand collaboration in AI, critical technologies, energy, and sports. They discussed close cooperation in the upcoming AI Summit and United Nations Oceans Conference, both scheduled to be hosted by France in 2025.
British PM Rishi Sunak: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rishi Sunak discussed bilateral relations and mutual interests. They last met in person at the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September, where they agreed to accelerate the FTA talks in hopes of concluding before India's general election. However, these talks are expected to resume after the new UK government is elected on July 4. The negotiations, which began in January 2022, aim to significantly enhance bilateral trade, currently valued at approximately 38.1 billion pounds annually according to official statistics earlier this year.
Italy PM Giorgia Meloni: Prime Minister Modi and Giorgia Meloni recently discussed the progress of the India-Italy strategic partnership, emphasizing the need to expand commercial ties in various sectors. They also welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Industrial Property Rights and discussed enhancing defense and security cooperation. They looked forward to the upcoming visit of the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and training ship ITS Vespucci to India later this year.
Pope Francis: "PM Modi met with Pope Francis and invited him to visit India. "I met with Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. I admire his commitment to serving people and making our planet better. I also invited him to visit India," the Prime Minister posted on X."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz: Prime Minister Modi said the meeting with Chancellor Scholz was highly productive. “The India-Germany Strategic Partnership can play a major role in advancing global growth that is inclusive and sustainable,” he stated.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in Italy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit on Friday night. In a post on social media, PM Modi said, "Pleased to meet the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in Italy."
During the summit, G7 leaders discussed several important points:
Supporting Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom: G7 leaders announced a plan to provide Ukraine with $50 billion in new financing by bringing forward the interest earned on immobilized Russian sovereign assets held in the European Union and other jurisdictions. This will drive up the cost for the Russian war machine.
Advancing International Peace, Security, and Prosperity: They called for a Comprehensive Deal in Gaza and renewed support for allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. President Biden joined with other leaders in stressing the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and raised concerns regarding the PRC’s dangerous actions in the South China Sea.
Promoting Economic Resilience and Economic Security: President Biden, alongside Kenyan President Ruto, championed and gained G7 support for the Nairobi-Washington Vision, which calls for increased support for developing countries. The G7 committed to boosting the lending capacity of the World Bank by $70 billion over the next decade. President Biden and Italian Prime Minister Meloni co-hosted an event focused on unlocking public and private capital for investments in partner countries, with pledges from BlackRock and Microsoft amounting to $9 billion.
Accelerating the Clean Energy Transition to Address Climate Change: The G7 has committed to phasing out unabated coal power generation by the first half of the 2030s and aims to deploy 1,500 GW of long-duration energy storage by 2030. President Biden announced a $5 million contribution to the RISE initiative to support clean energy supply chains in low- and middle-income countries. The G7 recognizes nuclear energy as a clean and zero-emissions energy source, pledging support for efforts to strengthen nuclear supply chains and establish a Working Group on Fusion Energy.
Deepening Cooperation on Artificial Intelligence: G7 leaders emphasize international partnerships to bridge the digital divide and ensure global access to AI and other technologies. They will develop an action plan to leverage AI’s potential to create jobs and address risks. G7 leaders commit to enhancing cooperation for AI governance and risk management, and welcome the establishment of a Semiconductors G7 Point of Contact Group to strengthen coordination on critical sector issues.
Thank you.
Regards,
Kautilya, IBS Mumbai.
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