Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed global leaders, including UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, for the 50th G7 Summit on June 13 and 14. Japanese PM Fumio Kishida also arrived for the summit in Italy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was received by PM Meloni at Borgo Egnazia in Fasano. Additionally, European Council President Charles Michel attended the summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to travel to Italy today for the 50th G7 Summit, marking his first overseas trip after starting his third consecutive term. The summit, held in the Apulia region, includes the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, and the European Union, with India invited as an Outreach Country. This will be India’s 11th G7 participation and PM Modi’s fifth consecutive attendance.
PM Modi will engage in bilateral meetings with G7 and Outreach leaders and international organizations. He is expected to meet with Italian PM Meloni to discuss the full range of bilateral relations. Indian ambassador to Italy, Vani Rao, noted that PM Modi will play a crucial role in engaging with world leaders on issues significant to India and the Global South. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra emphasized the importance of this visit as PM Modi’s first international trip of his new term.
Italy took over the G7 Presidency for the seventh time on January 1. The G7 members include the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK. Italy, which invited PM Modi for the Outreach Sessions, is India’s fourth-largest trading partner in the EU, with bilateral trade at USD 15 billion. The two nations celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations last year.
