G7 Summit: PM Modi leaves for Italy today, first foreign trip this quarter | News from India

Foreign Minister Vinay Kwatra said it would be an agenda item for the bloc where the G7 and outreach countries would share their views and perspectives.

The G7 leaders' summit, to be held June 13-15 in the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia in Italy's Puglia region, is expected to be dominated by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas .

Prime Minister Modi will attend the G7 summit for the fifth consecutive time. India has participated in 10 G7 summits in the past; this will be the 11th.

India's regular participation in the G7 summit clearly demonstrates growing recognition and contribution to India's efforts to resolve global challenges, including those of peace, security and development. and preservation of the environment. India's participation in this G7 summit assumes particular significance in the context of India's recent, but not so recent, presidency of the G20, during which India played a leading role in building a global consensus on a number of controversial issues. Also at the G7, we have always brought the issues of the Global South to the forefront, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The G7 summit under the Italian presidency chose some key priorities for the current year. In general terms, these are first of all the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, with its consequences on the global agenda; second, relations with developing countries and emerging economies, with emphasis on Africa and the Indo-Pacific region; third, migration, as well as the links between climate, energy and food security; and last but not least, artificial intelligence.

The prime minister's participation in the G7 summit would also provide a timely opportunity to follow up on the outcomes of the G20 summit held under Indian presidency last year and deliberate on issues important to the South, Kwatra said.

On the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy, the Prime Minister is also expected to hold meetings and bilateral discussions with G7 leaders, as well as neighboring countries and international organizations.

The G7 (Group of Seven) includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan. Although the European Union is not a member of the G7, it participates in the annual summit. Besides India, Italy, as G7 presidency, also invited Algeria, Argentina, Brazil (also a member of the G20 troika), Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania (which also holds the presidency of the African Union), Saudi Arabia, South Africa (G20 troika), Tunisia. , Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and certain international organizations, including the United Nations.

The Prime Minister is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni. The two Prime Ministers last met at the COP28 summit in Abu Dhabi in December 2023. During his state visit in March 2023, India-Italy relations were transformed into a strategic partnership focused on defence, l 'Indo-Pacific, energy, science and technology.

During their meeting with the Italian Prime Minister, the two Prime Ministers are expected to review overall bilateral relations and provide guidance for the next steps. Further bilateral meetings between the Prime Minister and other world leaders attending the G7 summit are planned, Kwatra said.

Asked whether the Russian-Ukrainian conflict had become a topic of discussion, the foreign minister said: “Naturally, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is one of them. We have always maintained that dialogue and diplomacy are the best option. You will recall the Prime Minister's statement that the current era is not an era of war, a statement that was widely appreciated and recognized.

Kwatra spoke about the consequences of the war, including its derivative impact on the availability of food, fuel and fertilizer, the challenges posed to global supply chains and the disruptions to the global economy.

We have always been at the forefront in talking not only about conflict, the need for dialogue and diplomacy, but also about how conflict affects the priorities and interests of developing countries, he said. he declares.