Will champion Global South priorities at G7: PM on first Canada visit since 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will emphasise the priorities of the Global South at the G7 Summit in Canada. Upon landing in Calgary on Tuesday, Modi, in a post on X, said, “Will be meeting various leaders at the summit and sharing my thoughts on important global issues. Will also be emphasising the priorities of the Global South.”
He was welcomed by his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney as he arrived for the outreach session of the summit at Kananaskis.
The two-day G7 Summit, which began on Monday, brings together leaders of the world’s most advanced economies, including the US, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Japan and the European Union. Representatives from international bodies such as the United Nations, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are also participating.
Modi met South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and President of Mexico Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on the sidelines of the summit. He held a pull-aside with Lee Jae-myung, officials said. He also held talks with the Mexican president, sharing perspectives on key global and regional issues. The two leaders agreed to work on expanding ties in trade, investment, startups, innovation, science and technology and automotive sector.
The PM is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Canada, Germany, Italy and Ukraine. The G7 Summit follows over a month after India’s Operation Sindoor, a counter-terror operation targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attacks.
Before his departure, the PM said, “As vibrant democracies bound by deep people-to-people ties, India and Canada will work together with renewed vigour, guided by mutual respect and shared interests. Look forward to our meeting at the summit.”
Though not a G7 member, India has participated in 11 such summits, with Modi attending six. This marks his first visit to Canada since diplomatic relations soured following the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023. He last visited the country in April, 2015.
Canadian PM Mark Carney’s invitation to Modi signals an intent to mend ties with New Delhi, which had reached an all-time low after Ottawa alleged Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing. In October last year, India recalled its high commissioner and five diplomats after Ottawa tried to link them to the Nijjar case, besides expelling an equal number of Canadian diplomats. India had accused the then PM Justin Trudeau’s government of allowing pro-Khalistan elements to operate from Canadian soil. Carney, an economist and political newcomer, assumed office in March after Trudeau’s exit.
The G7 summit is expected to address pressing global challenges, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the situation in West Asia, gender equality, climate change, biodiversity, poverty and health. Official agenda items include the global economic outlook, energy security, critical mineral supply chains, AI adoption and international peace and security.
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