Prime Minister Modi’s participation in the G7 summit in Italy for the fifth consecutive time since 2019 reiterates India’s commitment to multipolarity, believe analysts .
India is no stranger to the G7, which comprises the seven largest economies and 27 member States of the European Union.
India was first invited to a G7 outreach summit a little over two decades ago, and has attended 11 summits so far. This is seen as recognition of India’s rise.
Modi, who left for Italy barely three days after being sworn in for a third term, held bilateral meetings with several G7 leaders on the sidelines of the summit in Apulia. But his reassuring hug and message to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attracted a lot of attention.
Summarising his meeting with Zelenskyy on X as “very productive” and India “continues to encourage peaceful resolution through dialogue, diplomacy.’’
After meeting British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, Modi reiterated his commitment to further strengthen the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. “We also talked about further cementing ties in the defence sector,’’ he said.
Likewise, he referred to French President Emmanuel Macron as ‘mon ami’’ on X, and said their fourth meeting in a year reflects the priority India places on strong ties between India and France.
PM Modi also met his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G7 Summit.
Dr Swasti Rao, Fellow at Europe and Eurasia Centre in the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis told StratNews Global that it makes perfect sense for India to be on board with the G 7 countries not just as a bloc but also bilaterally.
“ Apart from Canada, India’s bilateral ties with the collective West are exceptionally good right now and this is the right time to capitalize on it. There is a lot of scope for cooperation with the western partners in the mediterranean and in the Indo Pacific which is a completely new domain,.’’ she said.
The global economic order is going to remain multipolar and it is in India’s interests to keep such options open, she added. “ India is going to be a part of most economic plurilateral groupings because in the economic sphere, we do have multipolarity. Keeping in focus a more multialigned worldview also gives India the room to manoeuvre.’’
However, there is no doubt that India’s economic interests are today completely enmeshed with the West, she felt. “ It is very clear that India’s bigger partners are all the western countries. Our priority of interests lie with the West.’
“India’s very regular attendance at the G 7 summit for almost two decades, something that also bothers China which is a not a member of G7. They have been seeing how India has been on board most decisions when it comes to G 7. This also shows India’s rising stature which is well in its way to becoming the fifth largest economy in the world.’’
India’s presence at the G 7 Outreach Summit is not only for championing the causes of the global South. “ Policies and planning at G 7 level directly impact economies of G 20- including India,” she said.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that PM Modi will focus on AI, energy, Africa and the Mediterranean.
“India is a prominent country and a huge democracy, everybody counts on it as a stabilising factor as it has a key position in the Global South. You have an important position in the global south,” said former Italian Sherpa for G8 and G20 Ambassador Giampiero Massolo.
“You don’t want to substitute other orders, India-centric orders, to other orders in the international community. You want countries to cooperate together. And we think that this is the right approach and we highly value what you are doing on the international scene,” Massolo said.
In his statement before leaving for Italy, Modi recalled previous visits to Italy and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visits to India which have contributed significantly to enhancing bilateral ties. ‘’We remain committed to consolidate the India-Italy strategic partnership, and bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean regions.’’
Despite his tight schedule, Modi found five minutes for a meet and greet engagement with the Indian diaspora.
