Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, on Friday at the G7 Outreach Summit held in the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia in Italy’s Apulia region. The two leaders greeted each other with a warm ‘namaste’, symbolizing the friendly relations between their countries.
The G7 summit, taking place from June 13 to 15, includes the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan. India has been invited to participate as an Outreach country.
Bilateral Meetings and Key Discussions
Prime Minister Modi arrived in Apulia late Thursday night, marking his first overseas visit since assuming office for a third consecutive term. On Friday, Modi held several important bilateral meetings, including discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, covering a wide range of issues.
One of the notable meetings was with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that the path to peace is through “dialogue and diplomacy.”
The prime minister also had an audience with Pope Francis, further highlighting the diverse and significant engagements during the summit.
Strengthening India-Italy Relations
In his departure statement, PM Modi expressed his pleasure in making Italy the destination of his first state visit in his third term. He reflected on his previous visit to Italy for the G20 Summit in 2021 and acknowledged Prime Minister Meloni’s two visits to India last year, which played a crucial role in strengthening bilateral ties.
“I am glad that my first visit in the third consecutive term is to Italy for the G7 Summit. I warmly recall my visit to Italy for the G20 Summit in 2021. Prime Minister Meloni’s two visits to India last year were instrumental in infusing momentum and depth in our bilateral agenda. We remain committed to consolidating the India-Italy strategic partnership and bolstering cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean regions,” PM Modi stated.