WATCH: PM Modi holds candid talks with Meloni, meets global leaders as G20 Johannesburg summit opens

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and several other world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg on Saturday. Modi, who was received at the venue by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, was seen engaging in brief conversations with leaders as the summit began.

Modi and Meloni shared a warm exchange ahead of the opening session at the Nasrec Expo Centre. In visuals shared by ANI, the two leaders were seen shaking hands and smiling as they greeted each other. Their previous interaction took place on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada in June.

BIG BREAKING 🚨 PM Modi meets Italian PM Giorgia Meloni at G20 Leaders Summit. pic.twitter.com/Plvov2ZAIA

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Earlier, Modi contributed the foreword to the Indian edition of Meloni’s autobiography, where he wrote: “It is not just an autobiography; it is her Mann Ki Baat.”

“I am delighted that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is penning her autobiography, I Am Giorgia. Over the last 11 years, I have had the privilege of engaging with many world leaders, each with a different life journey. At times, their journeys transcend personal stories and speak to something larger. They remind us of ideals that have endured across cultures and centuries. Prime Minister Meloni has several such instances in her accomplished life, making this book very special," he had said.

On the sidelines, Modi also greeted other global leaders, including embracing Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and holding what he described as a “very productive” conversation with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

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During the opening session, Modi urged world leaders to revisit global development indicators and pressed for new collaborative efforts under the G20. He proposed launching an initiative to counter the drug–terror nexus and called for the creation of a G20 Global Healthcare Response Team.

He also suggested establishing a Global Traditional Knowledge Repository to preserve systems and practices that “support the environment, respect culture, and maintain social harmony.”