PM Modi Holds Bilateral Meetings With UK PM Sunak, Italian PM Meloni And Japan's PM Kishida On G20 Summit Sidelines

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held three bilateral meetings with visiting heads of government on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. 

Modi held meetings with Prime Ministers of UK Rishi Sunak, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, and Fumio Kishida of Japan. 

Earlier on Friday, Modi similarly held bilateral meetings with US President Joe Biden, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth.

Notably, Sunak and Jugnauth are persons of Indian heritage and Sunak's wife Akshata Murthy is an Indian national. The Indian engagement with the two leaders is also seen as part of the outreach to persons of Indian heritage and the Indian diaspora across the world. 

This is Sunak's first visit to India since becoming the Prime Minister of UK. He is the first person of Indian heritage and the first Hindu to hold the office. 

India-UK trade talks figure in Modi-Sunak meeting

Modi and Sunak discussed a range of subjects in their meeting, including the progress made in talks for a free trade agreement and areas like defence, security, technology, green technology, climate change, etc.

Sharing photographs of their meeting, Modi said, "Great to have met PM Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi. We discussed ways to deepen trade linkages and boost investment. India and UK will keep working for a prosperous and sustainable planet."

In a press release following their meeting, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said that Modi conveyed his appreciation for UK’s support during India’s G20 Presidency, marked by high-level participation at various G20 meetings and events.

"The two leaders noted with satisfaction the progress in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation as per the India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as well as the Roadmap 2030, particularly in economy, defence and security, technology, green technology and climate change, health and mobility sectors. Both leaders also exchanged views on international and regional issues of importance and mutual interest," said the PMO. 

The PMO further said that the two leaders discussed the trade deal in the works. 

"Both leaders also reviewed the progress of Free Trade Agreement negotiations and expressed hope that the remaining issues could be addressed at the earliest so that a balanced, mutually beneficial and forward looking Free Trade Agreement is concluded soon," said the PMO.

Modi also extended an invitation of a bilateral visit to Sunak "at an early, mutually convenient date for a more detailed discussion", which the British Prime Minister accepted, said the PMO. 

PM Modi's meeting with Italian PM Meloni

PM Modi also met Italian PM Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, with whom he also shared the platform during the launch of the ambitious Global Fuels Alliance and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), a connectivity project connecting India to Europe through Middle East. 

Modi appreciated Italy’s support for India’s G20 Presidency and Italy’s joining of the Global Biofuel Alliance and IMEC, said PMO in a press release. 

Sharing photos of their meeting, Modi tweeted, "I had excellent meeting with PM Giorgia Melon. Our talks covered sectors such as trade, commerce, defence, emerging technologies and more. India and Italy will keep working together for global prosperity."

This is Meloni's second visit to India since becoming the PM of Italy. Earlier, she visited the country in March when the India-Italy relationship was elevated to the level of a Strategic Partnership. The advancement of the bilateral relationship and 75 years of diplomatic relations were subject of discussions.

"The two leaders noted with satisfaction the completion of 75 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. They also took stock of the progress in diverse areas of the India-Italy Strategic Partnership, and agreed to bolster cooperation in areas like defence and new and emerging technologies. They noted the need for G7 and G20 to work in consonance for the greater global good," said the PMO.

PM Modi meets Japan's PM Kishida

PM Modi met Japan's PM Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the G20 Summit on Saturday. 

Sharing photos from their meeting, Modi tweeted, "Held productive talks with PM Fumio Kishida. We took stock of India-Japan bilateral ties and the ground covered during India's G20 Presidency and Japan's G7 Presidency. We are eager to enhance cooperation in connectivity, commerce and other sectors."

The readout by the PMO said that the two leaders discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship, including infrastructure development, technological collaboration, investments and energy.

"During the meeting, the leaders acknowledged the constructive dialogue of the two countries throughout the year on their priorities for their respective G-20 and G-7 Presidencies, particularly in bringing the concerns and aspirations of the Global South to the fore," said the PMO.