Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held significant bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy.
The leaders warmly greeted each other with hugs before engaging in substantive talks.
The Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to Macron as France is gearing up to host the Paris Olympics.
"This is our fourth meeting in one year, indicating the priority we accord to strong India-French ties. Our talks covered numerous subjects such as defence, security, technology, AI, Blue Economy and more. We also discussed how to encourage innovation and research among the youth. I conveyed my best wishes to him on the hosting of the Paris Olympics, which begins next month," he wrote on X.
On his meeting with Sunak, PM Modi stated, "It was a delight to meet PM @RishiSunak in Italy. I reiterated my commitment to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the third term of the NDA Government. There is great scope to deepen ties in sectors like semiconductors, technology and trade. We also talked about further cementing ties in the defence sector."
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, "PM Narendra Modi met President Emmanuel Macron of France on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. The two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen partnership including in areas of defence, nuclear, space, education, climate action, digital public infrastructure, critical technologies, connectivity and culture. They also exchanged views on key global and regional issues."
This visit marks Prime Minister Modi's first foreign trip after assuming office for a third term this month. Modi and Macron last met in January during the French President's visit to India for the 75th Republic Day celebrations. During their previous meeting, they reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, as outlined in the Horizon 2047 roadmap. This roadmap sets an ambitious and comprehensive agenda for bilateral relations leading up to 2047, the centenary year of India’s independence.
In his meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Modi continued discussions from their last encounter at the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September. At that time, they had agreed to accelerate Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks with the goal of finalising the agreement before India's general elections.
G7 Summit: PM Modi To Address Outreach Session On Artificial Intelligence
The G7 Summit, hosted by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, brings together leaders from the world's leading industrialised nations. Discussions on Friday focused on migration, the Indo-Pacific, and economic security. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to address an Outreach session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean.
Upon his arrival, Modi was received by Indian Ambassador to Italy Vani Rao. He highlighted Meloni's two visits to India last year, describing them as “instrumental” in advancing the India-Italy strategic partnership and enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean regions. “Looking forward to engaging in productive discussions with world leaders. Together, we aim to address global challenges and foster international cooperation for a brighter future,” Modi remarked after landing in Italy.