Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi is currently attending the Group of Seven (G7) summit being held in Elmau, in southern Germany from 26-28 June, following an invitation from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. On the sidelines of the meeting, the leader has held one-on-one meetings with the heads of states of Indonesia, Argentina, Senegal, and South Africa, all of whom were invited by Scholz as part of a wider outreach to achieve a goal of “progress towards an equitable world.”
Indonesia
During his meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, aka Jokowi, on Monday, Modi congratulated Widodo on the success of Indonesia’s ongoing Group of 20 (G20) presidency. The leaders also discussed India’s forthcoming G20 presidency, for which Jokowi pledged his government’s support.
PM @narendramodi and President @jokowi had a productive meeting. Their talks will add strength to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and Indonesia. Both leaders also discussed ways to boost connectivity and business linkages. pic.twitter.com/7g3Yq4Maq8
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) June 27, 2022
According to a press release from Jokowi’s office, the pair also discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in the food sector. “Regarding cooperation related to food trade between the two countries, I will ask the Indonesian Minister of Trade to immediately communicate with the Indian Minister of Trade,” Jokowi assured.
The pair also discussed the Ukraine war, with Jokowi saying: “I am pleased that Indonesia and India have more or less the same position, including urging a peaceful settlement.”
🇮🇳🇮🇩| PM @narendramodi meets with President @jokowi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.#IndiaIndonesia: A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. pic.twitter.com/UMg6fFQVgv
— Indian Diplomacy (@IndianDiplomacy) June 27, 2022
In a tweet following the meeting, PM Modi said that the two leaders “had wide-ranging conversations on improving trade and cultural ties between our countries.”
South Africa
In the meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, the two leaders reviewed the progress made in bilateral relations since the signing of the Strategic Programme of Cooperation in 2019. To this end, the leaders “expressed satisfaction at the progress achieved” in areas of defence, education, and agriculture.
PM @narendramodi met President @CyrilRamaphosa of South Africa on the @G7 margins.
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) June 27, 2022
Discussed further expanding our bilateral ties in trade, investment, defence, pharmaceuticals, food security and more. Agreed to continue close cooperation in both regional and multilateral fora. pic.twitter.com/jl8TOJVfNe
They also spoke of further deepening cooperation in the areas of “trade and investment, food security, defence, pharmaceuticals, digital financial inclusion, skill development, insurance, health and people to people contacts.” In addition, both two also hailed the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement reached in June 2022, which allows for COVID-19 vaccines to be produced in developing countries.
Furthermore, they affirmed their continued push for the reform of multilateral institutions to amplify the voices of new and emerging powers, particularly the United Nations Security Council.
We also discussed the enhancement of the trade relations between our two countries and reaffirmed our strong commitment to multilateralism and BRICS cooperation.
— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) June 27, 2022
🇮🇳🇿🇦| PM @narendramodi meets President @CyrilRamaphosa on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.
— Indian Diplomacy (@IndianDiplomacy) June 27, 2022
An overview of the Strategic Partnership between#IndiaSouthAfrica. pic.twitter.com/cMyp2QWMT9
In a tweet, PM Modi said that their talks “covered diverse sectors including economic cooperation, improving connectivity and deepening ties in food processing and FinTech.”
Argentina
In their face-to-face meeting on Sunday, Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez and PM Modi agreed to deepen cooperation in areas including “trade and investment; South-South cooperation, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector; climate action, renewable energy, nuclear medicine, electric mobility, defence cooperation, agriculture and food security, traditional medicine, cultural cooperation, as well as coordination in international bodies.”
Reviewed the full range of the India-Argentina friendship during the very productive meeting with President @alferdez in Munich. Stronger cooperation between our nations will greatly benefit our people. pic.twitter.com/bBe32Wg850
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 26, 2022
Mantuve un fructífero encuentro con el primer ministro @narendramodi. El comercio con India es de US$ 5.600 millones, cada vez exportamos más productos y el aceite de girasol y harina de soja marcan récords.
— Alberto Fernández (@alferdez) June 26, 2022
Seguiremos fortaleciendo nuestros lazos políticos y económicos 🇦🇷🤝🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/PHoNjFlnVs
In a tweet, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi noted that this marked the first-ever meeting between the two leaders.
Furthermore, Fernández noted in a tweet that bilateral trade currently stands at $5.6 billion and is expected to rise even further as Argentina export more sunflower oil and soybean meal.
Senegal
PM Modi also met with Senegalese President Macky Sall. Earlier this month, the two countries signed various Memorandums of Understanding encompassing various sectors such as visa-free travel for government officials, cooperation in youth matters, and cultural exchange. The two countries are celebrating the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.