PM Modi to travel to Italy in first foreign visit of third term, to hold bilateral talks with Meloni

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister

Narendra Modi

will go to

Apulia

,

Italy

, on the invitation of the Italian PM

Giorgia Meloni

, marking his first visit abroad since commencing his third term, said

foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra

on Wednesday.
PM Modi

is also expected to hold bilateral talks with the Italian counterpart, as announced by Kwatra in the press conference.
The purpose of this visit is to attend the 50th

G7 Summit

, scheduled for June 14, where India has been invited as an

Outreach Country

.
"...At the invitation of Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling to Apulia, Italy tomorrow to participate in the 50th G7 Summit which is to be held there on 14th June where India has been invited as an Outreach Country. This will be the Prime Minister's first overseas travel after assuming office in his third consecutive term. It will also afford him an opportunity to engage with other world leaders present at the G7 Summit on issues of importance to India as also to the Global South," said Kwatra.
According to Kwatra, PM Modi's attendance at the G7 summit will provide an opportunity to follow up on the outcomes of the G20 summit, which was held under India's presidency last year.
The G7 summit is expected to focus heavily on the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, with top leaders such as US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in attendance. Ukrainian President

Volodymyr Zelenskyy

is also scheduled to participate in a session dedicated to discussing the Russian invasion of his country.
When asked about the Ukraine conflict, Kwatra said, "We have always maintained that dialogue and diplomacy is the best option to resolve it." He further emphasized that India's consistent participation in the G7 summit highlights the growing recognition of New Delhi's efforts to tackle global challenges.
In response to a question about India's representation at the peace summit in Switzerland, Kwatra confirmed that India will participate at an appropriate level but did not specify who will attend on behalf of the country.
(With inputs from agencies)