In his first overseas trip since taking office for a third consecutive term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attends the annual summit of the G7 advanced economies in Italy this week. The ongoing conflict in Gaza and the raging war in Ukraine are expected to dominate the G7 summit, which is scheduled to take place from June 13 to 15, in the opulent resort town of Borgo Egnazia in the Apulia region of Italy.
The top leaders in attendance at the summit include US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Another appointment is for a discussion on the Russian invasion of Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Modi is scheduled to depart for Italy on June 13 and return late on June 14, according to people with knowledge of his itinerary. This will be his first overseas trip since taking office as prime minister for a third term in a row. Modi's trip to Italy has not yet been formally announced.
According to the sources, Modi will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that is expected to include NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Among the bilateral meetings the prime minister has scheduled is one with Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy.
Modi was in Hiroshima in May of last year for the previous G7 summit.On the eve of the summit, he met with Zelenskyy and several other world leaders. The G7 nations include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan. Italy currently holds the presidency of the G7 (Group of Seven) and will host the summit in that capacity.
The Italian presidency has emphasised the importance of defending the rules-based international system. According to Italy, Russia's aggression against Ukraine has undermined its principles and triggered increasing instability, with multiple crises unfolding around the world. According to the statement, the G7 will give equal importance to the Middle East conflict, which has global implications.
Between 1997 and 2013, the bloc was expanded into the G8, which now included Russia. However, Russia's participation was halted in 2014 after it annexed Crimea. The host nation that holds the chair invites representatives from a number of countries and international organisations to the summit, as is customary.
In addition to India, Italy has invited leaders from 11 developing countries in Africa, South America, and the Indo-Pacific region to attend the summit. The European Union, despite not being a member of the G7, attends the annual summit.
