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PM Modi meets global leaders on sidelines of G7 summit in Hiroshima

On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Japan and Vietnam today, where the talks reflect the broader convergence of interests on the bilateral, regional, and global fronts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently on a three-day visit to Japan's Hiroshima for the G-7, held meetings with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam, respectively. On the margins of the summit, PM Modi also held a meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Pertinently, Japan is hosting the G7 summit as the current chair of the powerful grouping. Further, during his official stay in Japan for participation in the G7, PM Modi will also join US President Joe Biden and the Prime Ministers of Australia and Japan for the Quad Summit.

PM Modi meets Japanese PM, bats priorities of the global south

Elaborating on the details of the meeting between the two PMs', the Ministry of External Affairs said the leaders essentially discussed ways to further strengthen the bilateral India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

"The leaders agreed on ways to further strengthen the bilateral Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Discussions focused on areas of education, skill development, tourism, Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), green hydrogen, high technology, semiconductors and digital public infrastructure. Combating terrorism and reform of the United Nations was also discussed," the MEA added.

Further, with a focus on contemporary regional development, the two leaders also discussed ways to achieve greater coordination and synergy between G7 and G20 member countries. It is pertinent to note that while India is presently holding the presidency of the G20, Japan is the chair of the G7.

During the talks, PM Modi also stressed the need to highlight the concerns and priorities of the global south. He thanked PM Kishida for planting in Hiroshima the Bodhi sapling that had been gifted by Prime Minister Modi in March 2023.

Propelling India-Vietnam ties to new levels

Apart from holding bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held bilateral meeting with PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam on the margins of the G7 Summit.

Speaking in length about the details of the meeting, the MEA said, "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."

"Talks also covered regional developments as well as ASEAN and cooperation in Indo-Pacific," the MEA added.

Advancing India-ROK Special Strategic Partnership

A strong commitment by political leadership to ways to further cement India-South Korea ties in key developmental sectors was the significant highlight of the meeting between PM Modi and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

While defence and commercial linkages have been an important cornerstone of the bilateral talks, as the two leaders met on the sidelines of the G7 Hiroshima Summit, they also agreed to deepen cooperation in areas of trade and investment, high technology, IT hardware manufacturing, semiconductor, and culture.

Speaking of his meeting with the South Korean President, PM Modi said, "Delighted to have met @President_KR Yoon Suk Yeo. We talked about ways to enhance cooperation in futuristic sectors like IT, innovation, technology, semiconductors and more. Boosting commercial linkages and defence ties also featured prominently in the discussions."

Further, the two sides also discussed, during the high-level talks, India's G20 presidency and South Korea's Indo-Pacific strategy.

 

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