New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is heading to Italy on Thursday to attend a Summit of the Group of Seven (G7), marking his first trip abroad after assuming office for the third consecutive term.
Scheduled to be held between June 13-14 in the Apulia region and India has been been invited as an Outreach Country to the Summit, which will see participation from the seven member countries, US, UK, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and France, as well as the European Union.
Indian ambassador to Italy, Vani Rao said that PM Modi will play an important role in one of the global platforms, to engage with other world leaders present at the G7 Summit on issues of importance to India, as well as to the Global South.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had invited PM Modi to attend the G7 Summit. It will be India's 11th participation in the G7 Summit and PM Modi's fifth consecutive participation at the G7 Summit.
On the sidelines of the Summit, PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings and discussions with the leaders of the G7 and Outreach nations as well as the international organisations.
Foreign Secretary Kwatra said that PM Modi is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni and the two leaders are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral ties.
Addressing a special briefing, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the visit assumes significance as it will be Prime Minister's first overseas travel after assuming office in his third consecutive term.
"It will also afford him an opportunity to engage with other world leaders present at the G7 Summit on issues of importance to India, as also to the Global South. This will be India's 11th participation in G7 Summit and Prime Minister Modi's fifth consecutive participation at the G7 Summit," he said.
Kwatra said that the focus of the G7 Summit's Outreach Session will be on artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. He noted that India's participation at the G7 Summit points to increasing recognition and contribution of the efforts that India has been making in trying to resolve global challenges.
"It will be a bloc agenda item where the G7 and the Outreach Countries would share their views and perspective.
India's regular participation at the G7 Summit clearly points to increasing recognition and contribution of the efforts that India has been consistently making in trying to resolve global challenges, including those of peace, security, development, and environment preservation."
"India's participation at this G7 Summit acquires particular salience in context of India's recently held, not so recent, presidency of the G20, where India took a leading role in building global consensus on a number of contentious issues.
As you are also aware, India has so far organized two sessions of the Voice of the Global South Summit, which have been aimed at bringing the interests, priorities, and concerns of the Global South on the global stage. At G7 also, we have always brought the issues of Global South to the forefront," he added. (with Agency inputs)
