Prime Minister Narendra Modi met children and members of the Indian diaspora as he arrived at the Sheraton Hotel in Hiroshima, Japan, on Friday (May 19). Modi arrived in Japan to attend the G7 grouping's annual summit and the third in-person Quad leaders' meeting, during which he will exchange views with world leaders on global challenges and discuss ways to address them collectively.
The news agency ANI shared a video of the prime minister interacting with children and members of the Indian diaspora.
A young girl can be seen saying in another video posted by the news agency: "PM Modi met us, and he said he was happy to meet us as well. He then gave us a handshake." Another woman in the video joins the girls and adds, "Of course, we've been living in the city for ten years and have been waiting for the Prime Minister to visit Hiroshima." We are thrilled to welcome the Prime Minister".
A member of the Indian diaspora who met PM Modi outside the Sheraton Hotel said: "PM Modi met everybody like family".
Modi arrived in Hiroshima on the first leg of a three-nation trip to Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, where he is scheduled to participate in over 40 engagements. News agency PTI reported citing some officials that he will meet with over a dozen world leaders at summits and bilateral meetings.
"I look forward to exchanging views with the G7 countries and other invited partners on challenges that the world faces and the need to collectively address them. I will also have bilateral meetings with some of the leaders attending the G7 Summit in Hiroshima," Modi said in his departure statement.
"My presence in this G7 summit is especially significant given India's G20 presidency this year." "I look forward to exchanging perspectives with the G7 countries and other invited partners on global challenges and the need for collective action to address them," he said.
Senior Japanese and Indian officials greeted the prime minister at the airport. PM Modi is in Hiroshima from May 19 to 21, primarily for the annual summit of the G7 advanced economies, where he is expected to speak on global challenges such as food, fertiliser, and energy security.
Modi is expected to meet with some of the world leaders attending the G7 Summit in Hiroshima.
Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, and Italy are members of the G-7, as is the European Union.