Italy plays host to the leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies as their annual summit gets underway on Thursday (June 13). The G7 meet will continue till June 15. This is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first major diplomatic engagement after being voted to office for the third consecutive term about two weeks ago. The meeting starts at 2 pm GMT or 7.30 pm India time.
The venue of G7 summit
The G7 meeting is being held in Borgo Egnazia in the southern region of Puglia – a luxury hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant.
Set among olive trees and boasting its own private beach offering an array of water sports, the complex is made up of traditional-style buildings and cobbled streets lined with flowers. Within its walls are bars, restaurants, shops and spa facilities, meaning that if they choose, guests never need leave.
On the first evening, the leaders will attend a dinner in their honour in the nearby city of Brindisi.
The regular participants of G7 summit
Top leaders from all G7 countries — the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Britain — are attending the meeting. Besides, as the norm has been, the European Union is likely to participate in all discussions. The presidents of both the European Council and the European Commission will join the summit talks
The invited guests at G7 summit
The host country traditionally invites guests outside of G7 to join its sessions. Italy has invited Pope Francis, the King of Jordan, and leaders from India, Brazil, Argentina, Ukraine, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Algeria, Tunisia and Mauritania — the current president of the African Union.
The UN secretary general and heads of the World Bank, the IMF, the African Development Bank and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will also be present.
The agenda of G7
The leaders will discuss the state of Africa, climate change and development before deliberating on the situation in West Asia, where Israel-Hamas war is into its ninth month. There are two sessions on the Russia-Ukraine war, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy participating in the first.
Later, the leaders will discuss the issues of immigration, the Indo Pacific and economic security, and energy cooperation among other things. Pope Francis will lead talks on artificial intelligence.
A significant attention is likely to be on China, whose industrial overcapacity has been a concern of G7 members and others against the backdrop of subsidies that the Chinese government extends to companies.
Modi at G7 summit
Having invited top leaders of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles to his swearing-in ceremony on June 9, Modi is heading to Italy on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s invitation.
In a social media post on April 25, Modi mentioned about his telephonic conversation with Meloni, saying, “Discussed [with Meloni the idea of] taking forward G20 India outcomes at the G7. Reaffirmed commitment to deepening our Strategic Partnership.”
During Meloni’s visit to India in March 2023, India and Italy elevated their bilateral ties to “strategic partnership”.
Modi will leave for Italy on Thursday and is expected to be back by late Friday evening. A high-level delegation that includes External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and NSA Ajit Doval, PTI quoted sources as saying.
The Indian prime minister is likely to hold bilateral meetings with other leaders including Meloni on the sidelines of the G7 summit. In 2023, Modi held talks with Zelenskyy and other world leaders during the G7 summit in Japan’s Hiroshima.
Also Read:
Modi to visit Italy on June 13 for G7 Summit, hold talks with Meloni in first foreign visit of third term
Also Read:
From G7 meet to BRICS, a look at Modi 3.0’s global outreach
Also Read:
Mafia violence on rise in Italy region where G7 leaders, including PM Modi, are set to meet
Link to article –
G7 summit begins today, Modi in Italy on third term’s first foreign tour
