PM Modi At G7: Key Meetings And Major Global Focus Areas

On his first foreign trip after being re-elected, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the G7 summit in Italy. Though India is not a member of this group of advanced economies, it has been specially invited. With a GDP of $3.94 trillion, India boasts an economy larger than four G7 members: Canada, France, Italy, and the UK, and is one of the fastest-growing economies worldwide. PM Modi has several key bilaterals planned, including meetings with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and potentially US President Joe Biden. These meetings aim to strengthen bilateral relations and discuss global issues. The summit's backdrop is marred by an incident where Khalistani extremists vandalized a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Italy, writing slogans related to the slain terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. At the G7 summit, the major focus areas will be the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Israel-Gaza situation, and climate change. PM Modi’s participation underscores India’s growing global influence and its crucial role in addressing these significant international challenges.