PM Narendra Modi to travel to Italy for G7 summit, his first abroad trip of third term-Forging a New Era of Cooperation

By R Anil Kumar

New Delhi, June 12. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Italy for the G7 summit in his first trip abroad after being elected for the third consecutive term.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Italy on his first trip abroad after being elected for the third consecutive term.

PM Modi will travel to Italy to participate in the G7 summit, which will be held between June 13 and 15.

This year, the annual summit of the group of seven advanced economies will be held at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia in Italy’s Apulia region.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza are likely to dominate the G7 summit. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also scheduled to address a session on the Russian invasion.

Apart from PM Narendra Modi, other top leaders scheduled to attend the event are US President Joe Biden, his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Sources told that PM Modi will leave for Italy on June 13 and will be back by late evening on June 14.

The prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation that is likely to include External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the sources said.

It is expected that PM Modi will hold a number of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G7 summit, including a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Last year, PM Modi had attended the G7 summit in Hiroshima. He had held talks with Zelenskyy as well as other world leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

The G7 comprises the US, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Canada and Japan.

Another appointment is for a discussion on the Russian invasion of Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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.

G7 summit, Borgo Egnazia, Apulia, Italy, 13-15 June 2024

Agenda highlights

• The G7 summit hosted by this year’s Italian G7 presidency is taking place in Borgo Egnazia, Apulia, Italy.
• The EU will be represented by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
• The summit in Apulia is an opportunity for G7 leaders to demonstrate their strong determination to uphold the international order based on the rule of law, and to strengthen their engagement with developing nations.
• The main issues to be addressed during the six working sessions are:
• Africa, climate change and development on the ongoing situation in the Middle East
• Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Migration, Indo-Pacific/Economic Security, Artificial Intelligence and Energy/Africa and the Mediterranean Region
• The Italian presidency has also invited leaders from 12 countries and 5 international organisations to take part in some working sessions during the summit.
• At the end of the summit, the leaders are expected to adopt a leaders’ communiqué.

About the Italian G7 presidency

The Italian presidency is focusing on:

• Defence of the rules-based international system, with a particular attention paid to Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East.
• Relationships with developing nations and emerging economies, particularly in Africa and in the Indo-Pacific region, migration, together with climate, energy and food security issues, artificial intelligence.

About the G7 summit

The G7 summit is a forum that plays an important role in shaping global responses to global challenges, complementing the global economic coordination carried out by the G20.

Besides the EU, it brings together leaders from the following countries:

• Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States

The last G7 summit was held in Hiroshima, Japan, in May 2023.

G7 summit, Hiroshima, Japan, 19-21 May 2023

Leaders have been meeting in the G7 format since 2014, following the Russian Federation’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The EU as a G7 member

In 1977, representatives of the then European Community participated in the London summit. Originally, the role of the EU was limited to those areas in which it had exclusive competences, but this role has expanded over time.

The EU has gradually been included in all political discussions on the summit agenda and, since the Ottawa summit (1981), has taken part in all summit working sessions.

The EU has all the responsibilities of membership. The summit communiqué is politically binding on all G7 members.

The presidency has rotated as follows: Canada in 2018, France in 2019, the USA in 2020, the United Kingdom in 2021, Germany in 2022, Japan in 2023, and Italy in 2024.

Italy is holding the current presidency of the G7 (Group of Seven) and is hosting the summit in that capacity.