On Friday, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi commenced his visit to Italy and the United Kingdom (UK). During his trip, he will attend the 16th G20 Leaders’ Summit and the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
In a release by the PM’s Office prior to his departure, Modi said that he would visit Italy and Vatican City from 29-31 October. Thereafter, he would go on to visit Glasgow from 1-2 November.
According to the statement, the Indian Prime Minister intends to reiterate his commitment to climate action and underscore the need for the international community to focus on sustainable development.
The G20 summit is the first in-person meeting of the group since the onset of the pandemic. Following the G20 summit, Modi took to Twitter to celebrate the “fruitful” discussions. He said that the leaders hosted discussions on boosting cooperation in health, trade and investment, and innovation. They also signed the Rome Declaration, through which they agreed to further strengthen the World Health Organisation to expedite the emergency use approval for COVID-19 vaccines.
Apart from attending the conferences, Prime Minister Modi also met with several world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
European Union
On Friday, he met with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. They discussed the “productive virtual engagements” between the two sides through the EU+27 meeting in May 2021 and the India-EU summit in June 2020.
A release following their Friday’s meeting said: “During the meeting, leaders of India and EU reviewed India-EU cooperation covering political & security relations, trade & investment and economic cooperation as well as the Roadmap2025 agreed at the last India-EU Summit. They also discussed climate change, Covid-19 pandemic and contemporary global and regional developments of interest to both sides.” Furthermore, the European officials congratulated India for its success in its vaccination drive.
Italy
On the same day, Modi met with Italian PM Mario Draghi. During their first in-person meet, Modi congratulated Italy’s success in hosting the G20 summit and partnering with the UK to host COP26 in Glasgow.
The two leaders spoke of the need to strengthen the commitment of the international community to climate action. According to a statement by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, they discussed the “concerns of developing countries about climate financing commitments of the developed world.”
The pair also spoke of several developments of global and regional concern, including the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the rising unrest in the Indo-Pacific, and agreed to strengthen India-EU cooperation on these fronts.
Modi and Draghi discussed developments of bilateral concern as well, including boosting economic and trade ties. The release by the Indian foreign ministry said that they “reviewed developments since the India-Italy Virtual Summit in November 2020 and expressed satisfaction at the progress in implementation of the 2020-2025 Action Plan adopted at the Virtual Summit.”
India and Italy released a joint statement following the meeting that announced the establishment of a Strategic Partnership on Energy Transition. They agreed to advance their partnership in areas such as “large size green corridor projects, smart grids, energy storage solutions, gas transportation, integrated waste management (waste-to-wealth), development and deployment of green hydrogen and promotion of bio-fuels.” They also signed a Statement of Intent for cooperation between their textile industries.
Vatican City
On Saturday, he visited Vatican City, where he met with Pope Francis. This was the first such meeting between an Indian PM and the Pope in over 20 years, despite having established diplomatic relations back in 1948.
During their meeting, Modi and Pope Francis discussed the ongoing pandemic and its social impact, along with the importance of climate action. The Pope also appreciated India’s vaccine drive and its achievements in combating climate change.
Singapore
On the same day, he met with Lee Hsien Loong, his Singaporean counterpart. The pair discussed the need to strengthen their collaboration in combatting climate change and securing the availability of critical medications. The Indian Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for Singapore’s support during India’s second wave. Lee, meanwhile, congratulated Modi on the success of India’s vaccine drive.
France
Modi also met with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday. The pair celebrated the close relations between the two countries, which was a result of their strategic partnership. The Indian PM appreciated France’s leadership in guiding the European Union’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and in this regard agreed to cooperate in the region and work towards a free, open, and rules-based order.
Spain
On Sunday, Modi met with Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez and discussed bolstering bilateral cooperation in trade and investment. The two leaders celebrated the contract to purchase 56 C295 aircraft from Airbus Spain, 40 of which will be made in India.
In addition, they agreed to expand collaboration in areas such as e-mobility, clean tech, advanced materials and deep-sea exploration. Modi then invited Spanish investment in sectors including green hydrogen, infrastructure and defence manufacturing. They also discussed the importance of bolstering India-EU relations on bilateral and regional issues.
Germany
On the same day, Modi met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He recalled their “longstanding cooperation and personal friendship” and expressed his commitment towards maintaining friendly ties with her successor. He celebrated Merkel’s leadership of Germany and the European Union as she prepares to step down.
The two leaders spoke of the need to expand trade and investment relations and expand the scope of their partnership, particularly in climate action.
Indonesia
Lastly, Modi attended a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo. During their meeting, Modi congratulated Indonesia for its G20 Presidency, which is set to commence in 2022. He reassured him of India’s cooperation during the Presidency and through the Troika.
The pair agreed to further bilateral cooperation in post-pandemic recovery, trade and investment, and climate action.
Following his meeting with Widodo, Modi began his visit to the UK to attend COP26, which will see the participation of over 200 countries. The conference is set to host critical discussions to establish international mechanisms and targets for climate action.
PM Modi’s Visit to UK, Italy: All You Need to Know
During his visit to the UK and Italy to attend the G20 and the COP26, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with several world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
November 1, 2021
SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS