PM Modi Travels to Italy for G7 Summit, Focus on Ukraine and Gaza Conflicts

Disputes between the Ukrainian government and the Gaza Strip are expected to take center stage at the G7 summit that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend in Italy.

On June 13–15, at the five-star Borgo Egnazia resort in the Apulia area, leaders from the seven member states—the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and France—and the European Union will gather for the summit.

According to Ambassador Vani Rao, India is focused on defense and maritime cooperation as it has been invited to the G7 conference as an outreach country.

An essential foundation that we aim to establish here is defense and security. Ms. Rao said ANI that the two nations are exploring opportunities for cooperation in vital technologies, the integration of their defense sectors, and maritime cooperation.

In his first foreign travel since becoming prime minister for a third time, Prime Minister Modi will embark on a high-level delegation to Italy on Thursday, according to Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra.

During India’s G20 leadership, he addressed several important concerns, according to Ms. Rao.

At the summit, discussions are likely to center on Ukraine, although India has stressed that talking things out is the way to go. “We have always been in the forefront to talk about not just the conflict, the need for dialogue and diplomacy but also the way the conflict is impacting on the priorities and interests of the developing countries,” he said.

Among the many world leaders he will meet at the conference in Italy is President Biden. “Biden expects to see PM Modi in Italy and the two leaders will have the opportunity to encounter each other,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan remarked.

India Aims for Peace Talks to Resolve Ukraine Conflict: Foreign Secretary:

Prior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s departure for Italy to participate in an outreach session of the G7 Summit, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra stated on Wednesday that India will persist in seeking a settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war through communication and diplomacy.

At the summit, which takes place from June 13th to the 15th at the resort of Fasano in the Apulia province of Italy, the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israel and Hamas are expected to take center stage. Modi is anticipated to bring up the Ukraine crisis in his bilateral meetings that take place on the sidelines of the summit, even though he will not be participating in the main summit and the outreach session will center on topics like artificial intelligence, energy, and Africa.

It is “quite natural” that the Russia-Ukraine crisis will be one of the global concerns that will be discussed in bilateral discussions, according to Kwatra, who spoke at a media briefing before Modi’s first foreign trip in his third term. India will reaffirm its well-known view on the matter.

“We have always maintained that dialogue and diplomacy is the best option,” he said, bringing up Modi’s comments to Putin from 2022, when he told Putin that “today’s era is not of war.” According to him, the Indian stance has gained a lot of respect and admiration.

With the statement that the final schedule is still being finalized, Kwatra avoided questions about potential meetings with US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is a special invitee to the summit, although he did confirm a bilateral meeting between Modi and Georgia Meloni during the G7 Summit.

Kwatra added that India will send a representative “at an appropriate level” to the June 15–16 peace conference in Bürgenstock, Ukraine, hosted by Switzerland. However, New Delhi has not yet decided who will represent India at the summit.

“That is something that is being considered right now, and we will be happy to let you know when we have decided on the Indian representative who will be participating,” he assured.

The prime minister Narendra Modi and the minister of external affairs, S. Jaishankar, are reportedly planning to miss the peace conference.

Indian officials have refrained from denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since the conflict began in February 2022. As a result, it has demanded that the fighting stop and urged the warring parties to get back to the bargaining table. The war’s effects for countries in the Global South, such as the soaring costs of food, fuel, and fertilisers, have been brought to light by India as well.

Kwatra talked about the conflict’s “derivative impact” on the availability of food, fuel, and fertilizer, as well as its problems with global supply chains and the world economy. He said, “We have always been at the forefront to talk about not only the conflict, the need for dialogue and diplomacy, but also the way the conflict is impacting the priorities and interests of developing countries.”

Kwatra said that the talks at the G7 Summit on June 14 would be mostly about AI, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean because Modi would be there. He said that India’s involvement in the outreach session for the 11th year in a row was a sign of appreciation for its work on global issues like peace, security, development, and protecting the environment.

Aside from India, leaders from Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Kenya, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Turkey have also been invited.