Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Italy to attend the G7 Summit, his first overseas trip since he assumed office for the third time.
PM Modi has a lot on his plate during his official visit to Italy’s Apulia. Apart from attending the Group of Seven Summit’s Outreach session, the Indian leader will hold over seven bilateral meetings.
The Indian prime minister is likely to meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the sidelines of the summit.
Meanwhile, the White House said that US President Joe Biden is likely to meet PM Modi during the summit. Their meeting will be significant as this is the first time the two leaders will meet since the G20 Summit which was hosted by India last year.
What are the two leaders likely to discuss?
Besides the usual bilateral talks, one topic of discussion that might come up between the two leaders is the murder plot of a US citizen and Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun allegedly hatched by India.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Pannun will be “a continuing topic of dialogue between the US and India, including at very senior levels”.
While Biden brought up the issue during the G20 Summit, diplomatic sources revealed that the US would stoke up the topic once again.
“He (Biden) expects to see Prime Minister Modi here. It’s up to the Indians to formally confirm his attendance, but our expectation is that the two of them will have the opportunity to encounter one another. The nature of that encounter is still fluid because so much of the schedule is fluid,” Sullivan said.
He added, “We have made our views known on this issue, and it will be a continuing topic of dialogue between the US and India, including at very senior levels.”
Relations between the two countries suffered a setback after US alleged that an Indian agent plotted to kill Pannun on American soil.
What else is on Modi’s agenda?
During his day-long visit, Modi will be participating in a summit session entitled Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean to be hosted by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and joined by Pope Francis.
The Pope is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Modi, who has a series of meetings scheduled with the world leaders on the sidelines of the summit being held at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia.
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In a first since Delhi G20, Modi to meet Biden at G7 amid US focus on Pannun plot
