As G20 chair, India’s participation in G7 meet to be particularly meaningful: PM Modi

As G20 chair, India’s participation in G7 meet to be particularly meaningful: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that his participation at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima would be particularly meaningful as India holds the G20 Presidency this year. “I look forward to exchanging views with the G7 countries and other invited partners on challenges that the world faces and the need to collectively address them. I would also be holding bilateral meetings with some of the leaders attending the Hiroshima G7 Summit,’’ he said in his departure statement before leaving on a three-nation tour to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia.

In Hiroshima, the Prime Minister will hold a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, who as G7 chair, has invited him along with seven other countries — South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Comoros, Cook Island, Australia, and Brazil. “It will be a pleasure to meet Prime Minister Kishida again after his recent visit to India for the India-Japan Summit,’’ added Modi.

The leaders of the G7 will hold their annual summit from May 19-21 during which they are expected to discuss both economics and politics, including the Ukraine conflict, China’s increasingly assertive claims over South China Sea and Taiwan, and North Korea’s weapons-testing.

From Japan, he will visit Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. This will be his first visit, as also the first ever visit by any Indian PM to Papua New Guinea. Modi will host on May 22 the third Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III Summit) jointly with James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. “I am grateful that all 14 Pacific Island Countries (PIC) have accepted the invitation to attend this important Summit,’’ he observed.

FIPIC was launched during PM Modi’s visit to Fiji in 2014. “I look forward to engaging with the PIC leaders on issues that bring us together, such as climate change and sustainable development, capacity building and training, health and well-being, infrastructure and economic development, said the PM in the statement.

“Apart from the FIPIC engagements, I look forward to my bilateral interactions with Papua New Guinea Governor General Sir Bob Dadae, Prime Minister Marape and some of the other PIC leaders participating in the Summit,’’ he said.

Thereafter, the PM will travel to Sydney at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “I look forward to our bilateral meeting, which will be an opportunity to take stock of our bilateral ties and follow up on our first India-Australia Annual Summit held in New Delhi in March this year. I will also interact with Australian CEOs and business leaders, and meet the Indian community in Sydney at a special event,’’ he said.