 "G7 Italy")
A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Italy to attend the G7 Summit, where India has been invited as an Outreach Country, the Indian ambassador to Italy, Vani Rao said that PM Modi will play an important role in one of the global platforms, to engage with other world leaders present at the G7 Summit on issues of importance to India, as well as to the Global South.
Speaking to ANI, Envoy Vani Rao said that PM Modi will also follow up on some of the key issues that were there during India's G20 presidency.
"It is an important visit. Firstly, it is an opportunity for the prime minister to play an important role in one of the global platforms. It also marks continuity because he had participated in the G7 summit last year," the ambassador said.
PM Modi is set to visit Italy to participate in the annual summit of G7 advanced economies, marking his first international trip since beginning his third consecutive term in office. The G7 summit will take place at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort in Italy's Apulia region from June 13 to 15.
India's participation at this G7 Summit acquires particular salience in the context of India's recently held, not so recent, presidency of the G20, where India took a leading role in building global consensus on several contentious issues. India has so far organized two sessions of the Voice of the Global South Summit, which have been aimed at bringing the interests, priorities, and concerns of the Global South on the global stage.
"It allows the prime minister to also follow up on some of the key issues that we had in the G-20 presidency, which he had chaired last year. It's an invitation to the prime minister from the Italian prime minister. India has been selected as a partner for the G7 summit. If I'm not mistaken, India is the only Asian country to be selected as a partner. It is an opportunity also to speak on some of the issues like food security, energy, clean technologies, AI, and other aspects, which are very important to the Global South, " she said.
This will be India's 11th participation in the G7 Summit and Prime Minister Modi's fifth consecutive participation at the G7 Summit. On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy, PM Modi is also expected to hold bilateral meetings and discussions with the leaders of the G7, as well as the Outreach Countries and the international organizations.
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The ambassador emphasised that issues including food security, energy, clean technologies and AI will be discussed.
"Issues like food security, energy, clean technologies, AI and other aspects, will be an important agenda item here for the prime minister to share his views and thoughts," she told ANI.
Responding on whether there will be any bilateral agreements signed during the bilateral meeting with Italian PM Meloni, the ambassador said that "definitely", there will be some progress in the bilateral collaboration and agenda.
"It would be very premature for me to mention what are the outcomes of that meeting. But definitely, the high-level meeting itself is a big signal that the two leaders are invested in the relationship and the two countries want to elevate their cooperation in many domains, " Rao said.
Highlighting whether the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East conflict will be on the agenda during the G7 Summit, the Indian ambassador stressed that as the meeting is going to be held amid these global developments, these issues will also be on the agenda.
"The G7 and the partners will engage on a variety of issues. One is, the key economic issues that are on the table right now, which include food security, climate change, sustainable development, the role of artificial intelligence, energy security and others. These will be one set of issues," she said.
The ambassador added, "But obviously because the meeting itself is taking amid very key global and regional developments, they will also be on the agenda of the leaders. And India's position on many of these issues is well known and the prime minister would be articulating his thoughts on how to address these issues," she added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to leave for Italy on Thursday to participate in the 50th G7 Summit.
Addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's upcoming visit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, "At the invitation of Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Apulia, Italy tomorrow to participate in the 50th G7 Summit which is to be held there on June 14 where India has been invited as an Outreach Country."
During the Summit, PM Modi is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Giorgia Meloni.
"They last met during the COP28 Summit in Abu Dhabi in December 2023," Kwatra said.
In the meeting, the two Prime Ministers are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral ties and give directions for next steps, he said.
Italy is the Chair of G7 this year and is hosting the Summit of the informal grouping of seven of the world's advanced economies which also includes Canada, France, Germany Japan the United Kingdom, and the United States, as well as the European Union.
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