 "G7 Summit: PM Modi holds bilateral meetings with Macron, Sunak, Zelenskyy")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met French President Emmanuel Macron and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak and is believed to have discussed ways to boost bilateral ties, exchanged views on global issues and issues of common interests.
He also held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy who is believed to have briefed PM Modi on various aspects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
PM Modi conveyed to Zelenskyy that India continues to encourage peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
#WATCH | Italy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with UK PM Rishi Sunak in Apulia, on the sidelines of G7 Summit.
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2024
The two leaders share a hug as they meet. pic.twitter.com/X5ZFi7379l
PM Modi met the two leaders on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Bari, the southern resort town of Italy.
#WATCH | Italy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Apulia, on the sidelines of G7 Summit.
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2024
The two leaders share a hug as they meet. pic.twitter.com/oCEOD3XQhT
Taking to X, PM Modi said, “It was a delight to meet PM @RishiSunak in Italy. I reiterated my commitment to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the third term of the NDA Government. There is great scope to deepen ties in sectors like semiconductors, technology and trade. We also talked about further cementing ties in the defence sector.
It was a delight to meet PM @RishiSunak in Italy. I reiterated my commitment to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the third term of the NDA Government. There is great scope to deepen ties in sectors like semiconductors, technology and trade.… pic.twitter.com/ehjhFY89cE
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 14, 2024
PM Modi said he also held a bilateral with French President Macron, which is the fourth meeting between the two leaders in a year.
“Had an excellent meeting with my friend President @EmmanuelMacron. This is our fourth meeting in one year, indicating the priority we accord to strong India-French ties,” PM Modi wrote.
Had an excellent meeting with my friend President @EmmanuelMacron. This is our fourth meeting in one year, indicating the priority we accord to strong India-French ties. Our talks covered numerous subjects such as defence, security, technology, AI, Blue Economy and more. We also… pic.twitter.com/l52eHhJclL
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 14, 2024
“Our talks covered numerous subjects such as defence, security, technology, AI, Blue Economy and more. We also discussed how to encourage innovation and research among the youth. I conveyed my best wishes to him on the hosting of the Paris Olympics, which begins next month,” he added.
It is Prime Minister Modi’s first foreign trip after assuming office for a third time this month.
While PM Modi last met Macron in January when the French President visited India to attend the 75th Republic Day of India, he met Sunak 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 4 July.
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.
During their last meeting, PM Modi and President Macron had 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.
After winding up his bilateral with Macron and Sunak, PM Modi held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“PM @narendramodi met President @ZelenskyyUa of Ukraine on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. The leaders reviewed bilateral relationship and exchanged views on situation in Ukraine. PM conveyed that India continues to encourage peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X.
According to PTI, Zelenskyy briefed Modi on various aspects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Furthering 🇮🇳-🇺🇦 partnership!
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) June 14, 2024
PM @narendramodi met President @ZelenskyyUa of Ukraine on the sidelines of the 50th G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy.
The leaders reviewed bilateral relationship and exchanged views on situation in Ukraine. PM conveyed that India continues to encourage… pic.twitter.com/cxnYOHn907
PM Modi had met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima in May last year as well.
India has been maintaining that the conflict in Ukraine must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
With inputs from agencies
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