Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to engage with world leaders at the G7 summit in Italy on Friday, amid India’s reiterated concerns about Canada’s political space for anti-India elements who advocate violence and extremism. Modi, who will arrive in Italy on Thursday, will be participating in his fifth consecutive G7 summit as the leader of an invitee country.
During the summit, Modi aims to address pressing issues related to the Global South while emphasizing the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This conflict, along with the ongoing Gaza conflict, remains high on the G7 agenda.
PM Modi will join the G7 outreach session on Friday and is expected to have several bilateral meetings with G7 and other invitee leaders. Although the list of bilateral meetings is still being finalized, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra confirmed a meeting with Italian Prime Minister and host Giorgia Meloni. A potential meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has not been ruled out.
“The main issue is the political space that Canada provides to anti-India elements that advocate extremism and violence. We have repeatedly conveyed our concerns to them and we expect them to take strong action,” Kwatra stated during a briefing on Modi’s G7 visit.
The summit is being held at a luxury resort in the southern region of Puglia. As anticipated, Modi will bypass the peace summit on Ukraine in Switzerland and return directly to India, where senior officials will represent the country.
Addressing questions about the focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Kwatra emphasized India’s stance on the matter. “India has always maintained that dialogue and diplomacy are the best options,” he said, recalling Modi’s statement to Russian President Vladimir Putin in September 2022 that “today’s era is not of war.”
Kwatra highlighted the war’s broader implications, including its impact on food, fuel, and fertilizer availability, challenges to global supply chains, and disruptions in the global economy. “We have always been at the forefront to discuss not just the conflict and the need for dialogue and diplomacy but also the way the conflict is impacting the priorities and interests of developing countries,” he added.
India continues to offer assistance to alleviate the challenges faced by the Global South due to the conflict, including providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The foreign secretary emphasized that India would share its perspective with world leaders on the sidelines of the summit, underlining the importance of dialogue and diplomacy.
The G7 summit also provides a timely opportunity to follow up on the outcomes of the G20 summit held under India’s presidency last year and to deliberate on significant issues for the Global South. Modi’s participation in the summit reaffirms India’s commitment to addressing global challenges through cooperative dialogue and strategic diplomacy.