During his first overseas trip after starting his third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G7 Summit for the fifth consecutive time at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
Many participants, including the US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel were present. Pope Francis became the first pontiff to join as a participant at the G7 summit.
Besides India, Meloni invited leaders from 11 developing countries in Africa, South America and the Indo-Pacific region for the summit.
For UK PM Rishi Sunak, this could potentially be one of his last high-profile international trips, and has come at a crucial time as he faces a general election on 4 July. French President Macron, after a disappointing EU election outcome, has called for an early parliamentary election. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden is preparing for a challenging re-election fight in November, with polls indicating a close contest with Donald Trump.
With a focus on AI and energy, PM Modi emphasised India's four key principles for energy - availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability. During the session, Modi said that the global community should work to make advanced technology widely available. This will help create an inclusive society and reduce social inequalities. Modi also said that India will collaborate with all countries to ensure Artificial Intelligence is transparent, fair, secure, accessible, and responsible.
In a significant achievement for PM Modi, the G7 leaders have committed to supporting infrastructure projects like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). This commitment was highlighted in the G7 Summit Communique issued at the conclusion of the three-day summit.
PM Modi meeting various leaders at G7 Summit
During a G7 meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of India's commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict through "dialogue and diplomacy." Modi highlighted India's "human-centric" approach and discussed the upcoming Swiss peace conference for Ukraine. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for India's high-level delegation attending the conference.
In a separate meeting, Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron reviewed India-France relations under the 'Horizon 2047' initiative, discussing cooperation in defence, nuclear energy, space, education, climate action, digital infrastructure, connectivity, and cultural exchanges. They agreed to strengthen strategic defence cooperation, focusing on 'Make in India,' and expand collaboration in AI, emerging technologies, energy, and sports.
Modi also met with British PM Rishi Sunak to discuss bilateral relations, expediting FTA talks initiated in January 2022, set to resume after the UK election on July 4. They aim to boost bilateral trade, currently valued at 38.1 billion pounds annually. In another discussion, Modi highlighted India-Japan collaboration in defence, technology, clean energy, and digital sectors to bolster infrastructure and cultural ties. Stressing the importance of strong India-Japan relations for Indo-Pacific stability.
PM Modi and Giorgia Meloni reviewed the India-Italy strategic partnership, pleased with the increasing trade and economic collaboration. They highlighted the importance of expanding commercial ties in clean energy, manufacturing, space, telecom, AI, and critical minerals to bolster resilient supply chains. They also anticipated the visit of the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and training ship ITS Vespucci to India later this year.
He also met US president Joe Biden, Canadian PM Trudeau and Pope Francis during the summit.
Pope Francis' historic appearance
Pope Francis, addressing the summit as the first pope to do so, urged world leaders to prioritise human dignity in the development and use of artificial intelligence. Invited by host Italy, he highlighted the ethical risks of AI potentially reducing human relations to mere algorithms.
He urged politicians to ensure AI remains human-centric, emphasising that decisions about using weapons or other tools should always be made by humans, not machines. "We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people’s ability to make decisions about their lives, relying solely on machines," he said. "We must safeguard a space for proper human control over AI decisions, as human dignity itself depends on it."
G7 on China
The G7 members expressed concern over China's economic influence and perceived unfair market practices in sectors such as electric vehicles, steel, and renewable energy. They pledged to tackle what they termed harmful business practices by China.
In their statement, the leaders emphasised that they were not aiming to harm China or impede its economic growth but would "continue to take actions to protect our businesses from unfair practices, level the playing field, and remedy ongoing harm." The G7 also warned of potential action against Chinese financial institutions aiding Russia in acquiring weapons for its war against Ukraine.
Tackling migration crises
Leaders also addressed immigration, a significant concern for Meloni, who advocates for Europe's assistance in reducing illegal migration from Africa. She has initiated a substantial plan to enhance development in Africa to tackle the root causes of migration. The G7 leaders agreed to establish a coalition to combat human smuggling, focusing on increased cooperation in investigating trafficking networks and seizing their assets.
UK PM Rishi Sunak noted that it was the first time a G7 summit had discussed migration, calling it a sign of progress. "Illegal migration is now a global emergency. We all agree that it's for sovereign nations to control their borders and not criminal gangs. Obviously, these things don't happen overnight. (But) the conversation ... was very productive, so I'm confident it will make a difference," Sunak said.
G7 offers $50 bn aid for Ukraine
During their initial day of meetings in southern Italy, the G7 nations reached a preliminary agreement to extend $50 billion in loans to Ukraine, backed by interest accrued from frozen Russian assets. They hailed the agreement as a robust display of Western resolve. In their summit statement, the leaders declared their intent to impose further penalties on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. They also committed to sanctioning organisations aiding Russia in evading restrictions on its oil trade through fraudulent methods.
