G7 Summit: What world economies, PM Modi discussed in Italy
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the G7 Summit in Italy's Apulia area on Friday, where he met with various foreign leaders and discussed a variety of topics, including climate change and artificial intelligence. The summit, which took place at the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia, was attended by 12 countries and five international organizations. Here is everything that happened at the event:
Modi, Trudeau meet face-to-face
A year after Modi conveyed strong concerns about anti-India protests in Canada to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the duo came together face-to-face for the first time. The Indian PM also met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden, King of Jordan Abdullah bin Al Hussein, and others. He met Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and said India and Japan "look forward to working together in defense, technology, semiconductors, clean energy, and digital technology."
Modi's emphasis on AI, energy, and climate change
During the G7 Outreach session, Modi emphasized India's four key principles for energy — "availability, accessibility, affordability, and acceptability." He called for global cooperation to make advanced technology widely available to reduce social inequalities. He also drew the attention of world leaders toward the Global South, particularly highlighting the issues facing Africa. On climate change, he stated that India is striving hard to reach "Net Zero" by 2070 and has already met all its COP commitments ahead of time.
Pope Francis's historic appearance and G7 leaders' concerns
The event also saw Pope Francis make a historic appearance to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence. He expressed concerns about potential injustices between advanced and developing nations due to AI. The G7 leaders also addressed harmful business practices by China, focusing on its economic influence in areas like electric vehicles, steel, and renewable energy. They pledged to protect their businesses from unfair practices.
Migration and financial aid discussed at G7 Summit
Migration was a key issue discussed at the summit, with leaders agreeing to form a coalition to fight people smuggling. The G7 countries also reached a preliminary agreement to offer Ukraine $50 billion in loans supported by interest earned from frozen Russian assets. However, the word "abortion" was notably absent from the G7 summit statement, indicating disagreement among leaders on this issue.
Clash at summit over 'abortion' language
Last year, G7 leaders agreed to discuss "access to safe and legal abortion" at their meeting in Japan. But this pledge was dropped from this year's final statement in Puglia, allegedly due to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melonia's stance. Reportedly, negotiations over this year's language caused a public clash between Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron, who said he regretted Rome's position. According to American officials, US President Biden also pushed to keep in language about reproductive rights.
