PM Modi, US President Joe Biden likely to meet each other on the sidelines of G7 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will leave for Italy on Thursday to attend the annual summit of G7 advanced countries, is expected to meet US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the event. National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan said in a press briefing that the two leaders would have an “opportunity” to meet one another in Italy. 

“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 told reporters.

Modi’s meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is, however, confirmed.  India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told reporters that the details of the Modi-Meloni meeting are still being worked out. Italy would be the first overseas trip of PM Modi after assuming office for a third consecutive term. 

Apart from Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be present at the summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also scheduled for a session.

Joe Biden had called Modi to congratulate him on the election outcome and on being sworn-in as Prime Minister for a third term. 

Italy was invited to attend the 50th G7 Summit on June 14 as an Outreach Country. The summit would be held in the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia in Italy's Apulia region from June 13 to 15.