Strong chemistry between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top world leaders was very much evident in Germany where the Indian leader is present to attend the G-7 Summit as a special guest following the invitation by the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
PM Modi met US President Joe Biden, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron at the G7 Summit. What was noticeable was PM Modi’s personal chemistry with all these leaders. Biden walked up to PM Modi and shook hands with him with warmth and a smile. The Canadian PM also hurriedly reached out to PM Modi sporting an expression of respect for the Indian leader. Similarly, the French President Macron also displayed similar comradery and personal relationship with PM Modi. “There was all openness, effortless exchanges of views, comfortable chit-chat, and what not,” a diplomat told The Daily Guardian Review over phone. The manner in which German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warmly received PM Modi on his latter’s arrival was proof of the close ties that India and Germany enjoy, he added. “The PM was welcomed by Scholz and introduced the other dignitaries and officials to him,” he said.
Diplomats are of the view that PM Modi has so far been invited thrice since 2014 to the G-7 summit, which is a reflection of India’s growing clout on the global stage. The G7 is an informal group of seven wealthiest industrial countries of the world—the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. “
The German Chancellor invited PM Modi to the 2022 meet of G7 countries. Other nations which have been invited are Argentina, Indonesia, Senegal, and South Africa. Several international organisations, including the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank are also participating in the summit.
On Sunday, PM Modi held a productive meeting with Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez on the sidelines of the G7 summit and reviewed the full range of bilateral ties. This was the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders.
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed various issues like trade and investment, defence cooperation, agriculture, climate action and food security.
“Reviewed the full range of the India-Argentina friendship during the very productive meeting with President @alferdez in Munich. Stronger cooperation between our nations will greatly benefit our people,” PM Modi tweeted.
The G7 summit is an annual meeting of the seven countries which form the Group of Seven (G7). The discussion typically focuses on global security, economic, and climate concerns.
This year, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, and US President Joe Biden are taking part in this year’s summit.