PM Narendra Modi at G7 Summit Highlights: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his British counterpart Rishi Sunak on Saturday in Hiroshima, Japan. He also met Indonesian President Joko Widodo and UN chief Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the G7 summit happening in the Japanese city. Modi is in Hiroshima to attend three sessions at the G7 summit. As per a PTI report, Modi said that he had a productive discussion with Sunak on the sidelines of the Hiroshima G-7 Summit. The two leaders are expected to meet formally on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival in the picturesque city of Hiroshima set the stage for his participation in two significant international gatherings: the annual summit of the G7 and the in-person Quad leaders’ meeting.
The visit to Hiroshima marks the initial stop on Prime Minister Modi’s extensive three-nation tour, which will also take him to Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. With a packed schedule, he is slated to engage in over 40 engagements, including summits, bilateral meetings, and interactions with over two dozen world leaders.
Catch all the Highlights here
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met his British counterpart Rishi Sunak, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and UN chief Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the G7 summit here in this Japanese city. Modi is here to attend three sessions at the G7 summit. Modi said he had a productive discussion with Sunak on the sidelines of the Hiroshima G-7 Summit. The two leaders are expected to meet formally on Sunday. British Prime Minister Sunak also shared the picture with Modi on his Twitter handle, with the two leaders sharing a warm hug. "Met President @jokowi and Mrs Widodo. India attaches great priority to strong ties with Indonesia," Prime Minister Modi tweeted after his meeting with the Indonesian leader. "Wonderful conversation with @UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres in Hiroshima," Modi tweeted after the meeting. Earlier, Modi also held talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh and met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. PTI
French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met on Saturday at the Group of Seven nations summit seeking to turn the page after a French minister accused Rome of mishandling the influx of migrants. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in early May that Meloni's right-wing government had been unable to solve the migration problems on which she was elected and that she had lied to voters that she could end the migrant crisis. That prompted demands by Rome for an apology. On Saturday, the two leaders had a 45-minute meeting at the G7. The two looked relaxed and Macron appeared to ask Meloni about the floods which hit the north of her country this week. Reuters
President Joe Biden tried to reassure world leaders on Saturday that the United States would not default as he consulted with the heads of Australia, Japan and India in a meeting of the so-called Quad partnership that had been hastily rescheduled because of the debt limit standoff back in Washington. Hoping to avert an outcome that would rattle the global economy and prove to be a boon to Beijing, Biden opened his third day in Japan at the annual Group of Seven meeting of the world's most powerful democracies with a briefing from his staff on the latest fits and starts in talks over how to raise the federal debt limit. The president also squeezed in meetings aimed at challenging China's buildout across the Indo-Pacific. AP
Joe Biden, the President of the United States on Saturday said that 20-30 years from now people will look back at Quad and will say that it had changed the dynamics not only of the region but of the world as the new initiatives will build secure telecommunications in the Indo-Pacific region, reported ANI. Biden said, "While our setting today is different, our mission remains the same and that is to advance our vision of a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. And to demonstrate the capacity of democracy Pacific and the capacity of democracies to deliver on a shared region. I think people are going to look back at this Quad." He further added, "10, 20, 30 years from now and say it changed the dynamics not only as a region but the world. And while the setting today is different, in our last two years we made enormous progress."
The Quad leaders on Saturday called for the resolution of the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy while asserting that it must not be an era of war, a formulation that echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's position, reports PTI. Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese held talks on pressing global challenges including the Ukraine conflict at the annual Quad summit in Hiroshima. After the summit, the leaders released a joint statement that touched upon the Ukraine conflict, the situation in the East and South China seas and their vision for the Indo-Pacific region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday said that decisions taken by the Group of Seven countries at their summit in Japan were aimed at the "double containment" of Russia and China, reported Reuters. In a televised conference, Lavrov reiterated Russia's claim that the West is using Ukraine as tool to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. The United States and its allies reject that narrative, saying they are helping Kyiv defend itself against an illegal war. "The task was set loudly and openly - to defeat Russia on the battlefield, but not to stop there, but to eliminate it as a geopolitical competitor," Lavrov said.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited his PM Narendra Modi to join the Ukrainian Peace Formula initiative and also thanked him for supporting the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as per an ANI report. Taking to Twitter, Zelenskyy said, "Had a meeting with Prime Minister of India @narendramodi in Japan. I briefed the interlocutor in detail on the Ukrainian Peace Formula initiative and invited India to join its implementation. I spoke about Ukraine's needs in humanitarian demining and mobile hospitals. I thank India for supporting our country's territorial integrity and sovereignty, in particular, at the platforms of international organizations, and for providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine."
China has firmly opposed the G7 joint statement out of Hiroshima and has complained to summit organiser Japan, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Saturday, Reuters reported. The ministry said that the G7, disregarding China's concerns, had attacked it and interfered in its internal affairs, including Taiwan, the ministry said in a statement.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had invited India to join Ukraine's peace formula during his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit on Saturday in Japan. Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app that the two had also discussed Ukraine's needs in demining and mobile hospitals during their first face-to-face meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held in-person talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time after Russia invaded Ukraine 15 months back and conveyed to him that India will do whatever is possible to find a solution to the conflict. In the meeting that took place on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, the prime minister said that the war in Ukraine is a "very big issue" for the whole world and that it has had many different impacts on the globe. Modi told Zelenskyy that he does not see the situation in Ukraine as a political or economic issue, and that for him, it is an issue of humanity and human values. PTI
For those unaware, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy received a warm welcome in Japan on Saturday after arriving to attend the G7 summit in Hiroshima for back-to-back bilateral meetings with world leaders. Zelenskiy has so far met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, France's President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak among others.
The Indo-Pacific region is an "engine" of global trade, innovation and development and its success and security are important for the whole world, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday. Modi said this in his opening remarks at the Quad summit in Hiroshima that was also joined by US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. PTI
PM Modi said that Quad will continue to work towards human welfare, peace and prosperity. The Quad summit took place on the sidelines of the G7 summit. It was originally scheduled to take place in Sydney on May 24. However, it was decided to hold the Quad summit in Hiroshima after President Biden postponed his trip to Australia. PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday reviewed with satisfaction the progress in the bilateral strategic ties in various areas, including co-production and manufacturing in the defence sector and civil nuclear cooperation, and agreed to expand the partnership to newer domains. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the summit of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies here in Hiroshima. During their talks, they also discussed Prime Minister Modi's forthcoming visit to France in July for Bastille Day. PTI
"With united efforts, we are giving practical dimension to our vision for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," PM Modi said at the Quad Summit in Hiroshima.
Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies are joining their counterparts from other countries during their summit in Japan in an effort to expand the G7’s sway and to include voices from the so-called Global South.
From South America to South Asia, Ukraine to the South Pacific, the guests represent a carefully considered choice of countries including big emerging economies like Australia, Brazil, Indonesia and India and smaller ones like the Comoros and Cook Islands.
Critics accuse the G7 of being an “elite club” of countries whose relevance as global leaders is being eclipsed by up-and-coming powers. By including leaders of big but less wealthy democracies like India and Brazil, Japan and the other G7 countries aim to amplify their consensus on vital issues like the war in Ukraine, China's growing assertiveness, debt and development issues and climate change. Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden shared a tight hug as they greeted each other here at the G7 Summit in this Japanese city on Saturday. The brief interaction between the two leaders comes ahead of Modi's first state visit to the US next month.
Modi will embark on his state visit to the US next month on an invitation by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The US president and the First Lady will also host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. Modi's visit to the US comes ahead of the G20 Summit being hosted by India in September. PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a productive bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and discussed a broad range of issues including cooperation in trade and economic spheres, co-production and manufacturing in the defence sector and civil nuclear cooperation.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the summit of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies here in Hiroshima. During their talks, they also discussed Prime Minister Modi's forthcoming visit to France in July for Bastille Day.
Talks covered a broad range of issues including cooperation in trade & economic spheres; civil aviation; renewables; culture; co-production and manufacturing in the defence sector; civil nuclear cooperation. They agreed to expand the partnership to newer domains. PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 summit. It is the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
"PM @narendramodi held talks with President @ZelenskyyUa during the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima," the prime minister's office tweeted.
The Prime Minister arrived in Hiroshima on Friday to attend the annual summit of the G7 grouping in the first leg of his three-nation tour that will also take him to Papua New Guinea and Australia.
The Ukrainian president is also attending the G7 summit following an invitation by Japan, the current chair of the powerful grouping. PTI
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskiy brought his call for support against Russia's invasion to a Group of Seven (G7) summit on Saturday to Japan, where leaders agreed to tighten sanctions against Moscow and pare back exposure to China.
The Ukrainian president's attendance at the G7 summit in Hiroshima, the first city to suffer a nuclear attack, put in sharp relief western concerns over the nuclear threat posed by Russia.
Leaders of the G7 - the U.S., Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada - are grappling with the challenges posed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and tensions with China, notably over economic security and Taiwan, the self-ruled island Beijing claims as its own. Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during which they reviewed and positively assessed the progress in bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional developments and global challenges.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the summit of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies here in Hiroshima.
Prime Minister Modi welcomed Germany's support for the India-EU trade and investment agreements, and for India's G20 Presidency, it said. PTI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met some of the leading Japanese personalities who were instrumental in promoting Indian culture in Japan, saying such interactions facilitate the deepening of mutual understanding and creating stronger bonds between the two countries.
Prime Minister Modi is in Hiroshima to attend three sessions at the G7 Summit following an invitation by his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
Modi met Dr. Tomio Mizokami, Professor Emeritus at the Graduate School of Foreign Studies of Osaka University, a renowned author, linguist, and proficient in Hindi and Punjabi languages.
Mizokami was conferred the Padma Shri in 2018 for his contribution to the promotion of Indian literature and culture in Japan.
He presented the widely acclaimed book "Jwalamukhi”-- an anthology of writings from the 1980s by a cohort of Japanese scholars who laid the foundation of Hindi learning in Japan, according to the press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Modi also met and interacted with Hiroko Takayama, who was born in Hiroshima and is a Western-style painter, whose works are deeply influenced by her deep association with India, spanning over two decades. (PTI)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed Saturday in Hiroshima for diplomatic talks with the leaders of the world's most powerful democracies who have tightened sanctions meant to punish Moscow and change the course of its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.
Japan says Zelenskyy's decision to visit Hiroshima stems from his “strong wish” to participate in talks that will influence his nation's defense against Russia.
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters on the deliberations, said Zelenskyy will take part in two separate sessions Sunday. The first session will be with G7 members only and will focus on the war in Ukraine. The second session will include the G7 as well as the other nations invited to take part in the summit, and will focus on “peace and stability.”
U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy would have direct engagement at the summit. On Friday, Biden announced his support for training Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets, a precursor to eventually providing those aircraft to Ukraine's Air Force. (AP)
President Joe Biden has vowed to strive toward a world free of nuclear weapons as he visited a museum here documenting the devastation caused by a US atomic bomb in 1945 during World War II.
Biden is the second US sitting president after Barack Obama to set foot in Hiroshima, the site of the world's first nuclear attack.
He and the other G-7 leaders, including from fellow nuclear powers Britain and France, made an unprecedented joint visit to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Japan's Kyodo News agency reported on Saturday.
"May the stories of this Museum remind us all of our obligations to build a future of peace," Biden wrote in the guest book of the museum, which he visited with other Group of Seven leaders at the start of the three-day summit in western Japan on Friday.
"Together let us continue to make progress toward the day when we can finally and forever rid the world of nuclear weapons. Keep the faith!" he added. (PTI)
The world gets frightened even today when it hears the word 'Hiroshima', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday as he unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi, an apostle of peace, here in this Japanese city.
Modi, who arrived in Japan for the G7 summit on Friday, made those remarks after unveiling a 42-inch bronze bust of Gandhi in Hiroshima.
The bust site, adjacent to the Motoyasu River, is close to the iconic A-Bomb Dome that is visited by thousands of people - locals and tourists alike - every day.
"Even today, the world gets frightened when it hears the word Hiroshima. I got the opportunity to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi during my visit to Japan for the G7 Summit," he said after unveiling the bust. (PTI)
PM Narendra Modi and Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh discussed expanding cooperation in areas like trade and investment, defence and energy. "Propelling - ties to new levels. Wide-ranging talks between PM @narendramodi and PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted.
"Leaders discussed expanding cooperation in the fields of trade and investment, defence, building resilient supply chains, energy, science & technology, human resource development, culture & people to people ties," it said.
Talks also covered regional developments as well as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, it added.
ASEAN nations include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in extensive discussions with Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday, focusing on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, defense, and energy. The meeting took place during the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit held in Japan's Hiroshima.
"Leaders reaffirmed commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties as India-Republic of Korea celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations this year. Leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in areas of trade & investment, high technology, IT hardware manufacturing, defence, semiconductor, and culture. Also discussed India’s G20 presidency and Republic of Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy," MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
In 1998, Russia's inclusion transformed the group into the G8. However, due to the annexation of Crimea by Moscow in 2014, Russia was subsequently expelled from the organisation.
The leaders engaged in extensive discussions covering various crucial topics, encompassing economic policy, security, climate change, energy, and gender. These areas of focus allowed for a comprehensive examination of pressing global challenges and the exploration of potential solutions.
The inaugural summit took place in 1975, with France as the host of the Group of Six meeting. The purpose of this gathering was to address the economic repercussions of an Arab oil embargo and subsequent recession. Over time, the group expanded, and Canada joined as the seventh member in the following year.