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

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

    During his full day in Italy, Modi will take part in a summit session titled Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean, which will be facilitated by Georgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, and Pope Francis. 

    Digital Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in southern Italy on Friday for the G7 Summit's Outreach session. He is expected to have "productive discussions" with international leaders on a variety of topics, possibly including a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden.

    “Landed in Italy to take part in the G7 Summit. Looking forward to engaging in productive discussions with world leaders. Together, we aim to address global challenges and foster international cooperation for a brighter future,” PM Modi wrote on social media platform X shortly after landing at Brindisi Airport in Italy.

    BILATERAL MEETINGS 

    The Prime Minister's schedule is jam-packed on Friday, according to a video message released by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal from the airport. "We have scheduled multiple one-on-one meetings with world leaders. He will also be speaking during the G7 Summit's Outreach session," he stated.

    During his full day in Italy, Modi will take part in a summit session titled Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean, which will be facilitated by Georgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, and Pope Francis. Alongside the foreign leaders that Modi is set to meet with during the summit at the opulent Borgo Egnazia resort, the Pope is also anticipated to have bilateral talks with him.

    WELCOME TO MODI, MELONI 

    Georgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, will welcome Modi as the country's President of the Council of Ministers on Friday. Southern Italy was chosen as the location to send a strong message to the Global South, she said in her opening remarks on Thursday at the meeting of the G7 leaders, which included US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel.

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, arrived for the talks on Thursday, and it is expected that the Russia-Ukraine conflict will take center stage. Modi said in September 2022 that "today's era is not of war," as Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra had mentioned in his pre-visit media briefing. Humanitarian help to Ukraine and the Global South devastated by conflict, as well as support to relieve issues faced by the Global South as a result of the conflict, has always been our priority, he said.