Page 2 - G7 Summit

People's blessing in elections a 'victory of democracy': PM Modi in Italy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted the recently-held Lok Sabha elections in his address at an outreach session of the G7 summit here and said the "blessings" that the people of India have given in the form of a historic win in the polls is a "victory of democracy". The prime minister in his speech also shared some figures to underline the mammoth scale of the world's largest democratic exercise in India which was held between April 19 and June 1 in seven phases. Votes were counted on June 4. Modi is in Italy to attend the 50th G7 Summit at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni. He addressed an outreach session on artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean, alongside leaders from other countries, including Pope Francis. This is his first foreign visit after being sworn in as the prime minister of India for the third consecutive time after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's victory in the general elections. "The blessings

PM Modi holds separate conversations with Prez Biden, Canadian PM Trudeau

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a brief conversation with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau amid strain in bilateral ties over the case relating to the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Modi also held a separate conversation with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the summit of G7 advanced economies in Italy's Apulia region. "It's always a pleasure to meet @POTUS @JoeBiden. India and USA will keep working together to further global good," Modi posted on X. "Met Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau at the G7 Summit," Modi said on 'X'. Both Modi and Trudeau were seen warmly greeting each other during the encounter. It is not immediately known what transpired between Modi and Trudeau. The ties between the two countries came under severe strain following Trudeau's allegations in September last year of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar in British Columbia. New Delhi rejected Trudeau's charges as "absurd" and ...

G7 nations vows to take on China over 'unfair' business practices

Washington expected to see unprecedented unity across the G7 in confronting China's non-market policies and practices, a senior U.S. official at the G7 said

G7: Way to peace is through 'dialogue & diplomacy', PM Modi tells Zelenskyy

PM Modi met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Italy's Apulia region. The prime minister described the meeting with the Ukrainian president as 'very productive'

PM Modi, Rishi Sunak review FTA negotiations, vow to boost India-UK ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met his British counterpart Rishi Sunak and is believed to have discussed bilateral relations and issues of common interests. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 summit here in the southern Italian resort city. Sunak and Modi last met in person at the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September, when they had agreed to accelerate the FTA talks with the hope of signing off before India's general election. However, the trade talks are now expected to resume only after a new UK government is elected on July 4. The India-UK FTA negotiations, which opened in January 2022, are aimed at significantly enhancing bilateral trade currently worth around 38.1 billion pounds a year as per official statistics from earlier this year.

Economic shortsightedness is jeopardising Italy's G7 ambitions

In the 1990s, Italy initiated the largest privatisation programme in continental Europe, dismantling much of its industrial backbone instead of fostering innovation

G7 summit: PM Modi meets Pope Francis; invites him to visit India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday invited Pope Francis to visit India and said he admired the pontiff's commitment to serving the people. They met with a warm embrace at the Outreach session of the G7 Summit in Apulia, southern Italy where they joined other world leaders to deliberate on the topic of Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. "Met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the @G7 Summit. I admire his commitment to serve people and make our planet better. Also invited him to visit India," Modi said in a post on X. Modi and the BJP have made several overtures to the Christian community before the general elections in the country. Modi was seen in a light-hearted exchange with the 87-year-old head of the worldwide Catholic Church, who was taken around the table in a wheelchair to greet each of the world leaders gathered at the summit venue of Borgo Egnazia. "It is up to each of us to make good use of AI, the Pope said in his address at the Outreach ..

PM Modi participates in G7 Outreach Session on AI, energy, Africa

The session was also addressed by President Emmanuel Macron of France. In his address, Macron praised PM Modi's initiative on AI and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as G20 chair

Highlights of the day: G7 nations commit to reduce 75% of methane emissions by 2030

G7 Summit 2024 LIVE Updates: Catch all the latest news updates here

First pontiff to address G7 summit, Pope Francis raises alarm about AI

Pope Francis challenged leaders of the world's wealthy democracies on Friday to keep human dignity foremost in developing and using artificial intelligence, warning that such powerful technology risks turning human relations themselves into mere algorithms. Francis brought his moral authority to bear on the Group of Seven, invited by host Italy to address a special session at their annual summit on the perils and promises of AI. In doing so, he became the first pope to attend the G7, offering an ethical take on an issue that is increasingly on the agenda of international summits, government policy and corporate boards alike. Francis said politicians must take the lead in making AI human-centric, so that human decisions always remain made by humans and not machines. We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people's ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines, he said. We need to ensure and

PM Modi, French President discuss ways to further strengthen partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met French President Emmanuel Macron and believed to have discussed ways to further bolster the bilateral ties and exchanged views on global issues. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 summit here in the southern resort town of Italy. It is Prime Minister Modi's first foreign trip after assuming office for a third time this month. The two leaders last met in January when the French President visited India to attend the 75th Republic Day of India. During their last meeting, the two leaders reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, outlined in Horizon 2047 and other documents from the July 2023 Summit. Horizon 2047 Roadmap sets an ambitious and broad-ranging course for the bilateral relationship for 2047, the centenary year of India's independence.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni welcomes guest with 'Namaste', video goes viral

The heads of G7 nations reached Italy to participate in the 2024 Summit. PM Modi also arrived in Italy to participate in the G7 meeting, where India is invited as an outreach country

G7 leaders tackle migration issue on second day of summit in Italy

Leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialised nations are turning their attention to migration on the second day of their summit Friday, seeking ways to combat trafficking and increase investment in countries from where migrants start out on often life-threatening journeys. The gathering in a luxury resort in Italy's southern Puglia region is also discussing other major topics, such as financial support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, artificial intelligence and climate change, as well as China's industrial policy and economic security. But some divisions also appeared to emerge over the wording of the summit's final declaration, with disagreement reported over the inclusion of a reference to abortion. Migration is of particular interest to summit host Italy, which lies on one of the major routes into the European Union for people fleeing war and poverty in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Right-wing Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, known for her hard-line stance on the issue,

G7 Summit: Hopeful of productive discussions with world leaders, says PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he was looking forward to engaging in productive discussions with world leaders at the G7 Summit on Friday to address global challenges and foster international cooperation for a brighter future. The Prime Minister's comments came as he arrived in Apulia, southern Italy, to attend the Outreach session of the G7 Summit. Tomorrow (Friday) is a packed day for him. We have several bilateral meetings with world leaders lined up. He will also be addressing the Outreach session of the G7 Summit, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a video message from the Brindisi Airport. During his day-long visit, Modi will be participating in a summit session entitled Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean to be hosted by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and joined by Pope Francis. The Pope is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Modi, who has a series of meetings scheduled with the world leaders on the sidelin

PM Modi in Italy to attend G7 Summit; several meetings scheduled today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Italy's Apulia late Thursday night (local time) to attend the G7 Summit, where India is invited as an outreach country.As PM Modi touched down at Brindisi Airport in Apulia, he was received by India's Ambassador to Italy, Vani Rao, and other officials.This marks PM Modi's first trip abroad after assuming office for the third consecutive term."PM @narendramodi touches down at Brindisi airport in Apulia, Italy. Agenda includes participation in the Outreach session of the G7 Summit & substantive interactions with the global leaders on the sidelines. An action-packed day awaits!" the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, wrote in a post on X.Giving an overview of PM Modi's day-long visit to Italy, Jaiswal posted another video, as he sketched out the details of the Prime Minister's engagements with the world leaders on June 14."Namaste! The Prime Minister of India has arrived at Brindisi Airport in Italy to

G7 agrees to use frozen Russian assets for $50 billion loan for Ukraine

A Group of Seven summit opened on Thursday with agreement reached on a US proposal to back a USD 50 billion loan to Ukraine using frozen Russian assets as collateral, giving Kyiv a strong show of support even as Europe's political chessboard shifts to the right. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni welcomed the heads of state of the G7 leading industrialised nations to a luxury resort in southern Italy, saying she wanted the message of the meeting to be one of dialogue with the global south and unity. She likened the G7 to the ancient olive trees that are a symbol of the Puglia region, with their solid roots, and branches projected toward the future. Beyond discussions on Ukraine, the war in Gaza and China's industrial policy, Pope Francis will become the first pope to address a G7 summit, adding a dash of celebrity and moral authority to the annual gathering. He'll be speaking on Friday about the promises and perils of artificial intelligence, but is expected to also renew his appeal for

Apulia's Indian restaurant basks in G7 Summit warmth amid high demand

An Indian restaurant in Apulia's capital city of Bari is basking in the warmth of the G7 Summit being hosted in southern Italy as the staff work at speed to meet a rush of orders from the delegation accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be attending an Outreach session on Friday. Namaste India, offering traditional dishes inspired by founder Rupinder Singh's native Punjab, has been abuzz with activity in the days leading up to the start of the start of the summit on Thursday. Its Hoshiarpur-born manager, Harsh Dhanda, expressed excitement at the prospect of creating food for officials accompanying the Prime Minister and enjoying the flavours of India far from home. It is so exciting that we have a chance to make sure that they can get a taste of some authentic Indian flavours away from home, Harsh Dhanda, the Bari-based manager, said in Hindi. Our restaurant only uses fresh, quality ingredients to ensure that every dish on offer is of the highest standard, he said. Th

AI, energy, Africa to be in focus, says PM Modi as he leaves for G7 Italy

As he embarks on a visit to Italy to attend an Outreach session at the G7 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said its focus would be on artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. Modi said this in a departure statement before leaving for the European nation in his first foreign trip after becoming prime minister for a third term. The prime minister said issues crucial for the Global South will also be deliberated upon at the Outreach session. The G7 summit, to be held in the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia in Italy's Apulia region from June 13 to 15, is expected to be dominated by the raging war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza. "At the invitation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, I am travelling to Apulia region in Italy to participate in the G7 Outreach summit on June 14," Modi said. The prime minister said he was glad that his first visit in the third consecutive term is to Italy for the G-7 Summit. "During the discussions at the Outreach .

G7 Summit: UK PM Sunak advocates for 'decisive' support for Ukraine

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations on Thursday began their three-day summit on global affairs in the southern Italian region of Apulia, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been invited for the Outreach session to be held on Friday. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is set to dominate the agenda as leaders of the G7 the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France and Japan are hosted by Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia on the Adriatic coast. While India has reiterated its stance on dialogue and diplomacy as the best approach, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is leading calls for decisive efforts to support Ukraine whatever it takes. We must be decisive and creative in our efforts to support Ukraine and end (Russian President) Putin's illegal war at this critical moment, Sunak said in a statement ahead of the summit talks. The UK remains at the forefront of the international response as we have been from the outset

Flying to Italy for G7 to salvage diminished int'l image: Cong slams PM

The Congress on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his first visit abroad in his third term, saying he is flying to Italy to "salvage his diminished international image" at this year's G7 Summit. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the G7 Summit of the heads of state of USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, UK and Japan has been taking place since the late 1970s. Between 1997 and 2014, Russia was also a member, he pointed out. Since 2003, India, China, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa have also been invited to G7 Summits, Ramesh said. The most famous of the G7 Summits from India's point of view was in June 2007 in Helligendamm in Germany as it was here that the famous Singh-Merkel formula for ensuring equity in global climate change negotiations was first presented to the world, he said. "It is still talked about. Dr. Manmohan Singh and German Chancellor Angela Merkel created history. Dr. Manmohan Singh had emerged as the voice of the Global Sou