Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in pull-aside meetings Friday on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Apulia, Italy. This was their first meeting since the G20 Summit in New Delhi last year and allegations of the Indian government’s involvement in assassination plots of Khalistani separatists in the US and Canada.
On his meeting with the US President, Modi, in a post on X, said it’s “always a pleasure to meet” Biden. “India and USA will keep working together to further global good,” he said.
US NSA Jake Sullivan is expected in New Delhi early next week to iron out differences over the alleged assassination plot against a Khalistan separatist, and move forward in bilateral relations.
On his meeting with Trudeau, it was a cryptic one line with a photograph of the two leaders shaking hands, “Met Canadian PM @JustinTrudeau at the G7 Summit,” Modi said in his post.
PM Narendra Modi with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on day two of the 50th G7 summit at Borgo Egnazia, southern Italy, on Friday, June 14, 2024. AP/PTI
Hours before these meetings, Modi showcased the scale of Indian elections as “the biggest festival of democracy in the world”, and framed his “historic victory” as a “victory of democracy” and “victory of the entire democratic world”.
This is an important framing, especially in the context of the gathering of the G7 countries which pride themselves as democracies and had expelled Russia from the grouping in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea.
The Biden administration has always signalled that it is an era of democracies vs autocracies (read Russia and China), and that India is part of the democracies.
Delivering his statement at the G7 Outreach Session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and Mediterranean, attended by Biden and other G7 leaders, Modi pitched India as the voice of the Global South.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Pope Francis at the G7 Outreach Summit in Apulia, Italy, on Friday. In a post on X, Modi said he invited the Pope to visit India. ANI photo
He said India has considered it “its responsibility to place the priorities and concerns of the countries of the Global South on the world stage”. Delhi had organised two Voice of Global South summits in 2023.
And, in a forward-looking tone to the G7 leaders, he said, “Today’s meeting reflects deep convergence between the priorities of all countries. We will continue dialogue and cooperation with the G7 on all these issues.”
Talking about Artificial Intelligence, which was one of the themes of the G7 Outreach Session chaired by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Modi said “We have to make technology creative, not destructive… During the G20 Summit hosted by India last year, we emphasised the importance of international governance in the field of AI. In the time to come, we will continue to work together with all countries to make AI transparent, fair, secure, accessible and responsible.”
Sources said French President Emmanuel Macron, in his address at the Outreach Session, praised the Prime Minister’s initiative on AI and DPI as G20 Chair.
In his statement where he showcased the scale and magnitude of the Lok Sabha elections, Modi said, “Last week many of you were busy with the European Parliament elections. Some friends will go through the excitement of elections in the coming time.” He was referring to three of the seven G7 country leaders: Biden, Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who are heading to elections in the coming months.
“In India too, a few months back, it was the time of elections. The uniqueness and magnitude of the elections in India can be understood from some figures: More than 2,600 political parties, more than 1 million polling booths, more than 5 million Electronic Voting Machines, 15 million polling staff, and about 970 million voters, out of which 640 million people exercised their franchise. The entire electoral process has been made fair and transparent by the ubiquitous use of technology. And the results of such a large election were also declared within a few hours. This was the biggest festival of democracy in the world and the biggest in the history of humanity. It is also a living example of our ancient values as the mother of democracy.”
“And I am fortunate that the people of India have given me the opportunity to serve them for the third consecutive time. This has happened for the first time in India in the last six decades. The blessings that the people of India have given in the form of this historic victory is a victory of democracy. It is a victory of the entire democratic world,” he said.
He also pitched India’s ambition to be part of the developed world. “It is our resolve to build a developed India by 2047. Our commitment is that no section of the society should be left behind in the country’s development journey. This is also important in the context of international cooperation. The countries of the Global South are bearing the brunt of global uncertainties and tensions. India has considered it its responsibility to place the priorities and concerns of the countries of the Global South on the world stage.”
On technology, he said that the 21st century is the century of technology. “There is hardly any aspect of human life that is deprived of the influence of technology. While on one hand technology gives the courage to take man to the Moon, on the other hand it also creates challenges like cyber security. We have to collectively ensure that the benefits of technology reach all sections of society, to realise the potential of every person in the society, to help in removing social inequalities, and expand human powers instead of limiting them. This should not only be our desire, but our responsibility. We have to convert monopoly in technology into mass usage. We have to make technology creative, not destructive. Only then will we be able to lay the foundation of an inclusive society”.
Underlining that India is striving for a better future through its human-centric approach and is among the first few countries to formulate a National Strategy on Artificial Intelligence, he said that on the basis of this strategy, this year India has launched the AI Mission.
“It is derived from the mantra ‘AI for All’. As a founding member and lead chair of the Global Partnership for AI, we are promoting cooperation among all countries. During the G20 Summit hosted by India last year, we emphasised the importance of international governance in the field of AI. In the time to come, we will continue to work together with all countries to make AI transparent, fair, secure, accessible and responsible,” he said.
On energy — another theme of the Outreach Session — Modi said India’s approach in the field of energy is also based on four principles: “availability, accessibility, affordability and acceptability”.
Stating that India is the first country to fulfil all the commitments made under COP before time and that it is making every effort to fulfil the commitment to achieve the target of Net Zero by 2070, he said, “We should together try to make the time to come a Green Era. For this, India has started Mission LiFE i.e. Lifestyle For Environment. Taking this Mission forward, on 5 June, Environment Day, I have started a campaign ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’. Everyone loves their mother. With this feeling, we want to make tree plantation a mass movement with personal touch and global responsibility. I urge all of you to join it. My team will share its details with everyone.”
Sources said that Biden, in his address, mentioned Brazil, Argentina and India as critical minerals partners.
Modi, who arrived in Apulia in Italy late Thursday night, met G7 leaders including Macron, Sunak, Meloni among others on the margins of the Summit. He also met Pope Francis and invited him to India.
