New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting France later this month at the personal invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the 45th G7 summit in Biarritz even though India is not a member of the grouping.
Modi will be focussing on counter-terrorism, radicalisation as well space cooperation at the Summit after which he will have a bilateral level meeting with Macron.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the invitation was a “reflection of the personal chemistry” between the two leaders and also “recognition of India as a major economic power”.
The member countries will be discussing the challenges faced for combating the use of the internet for terrorism and radicalisation. The countries which are part of the G7 include the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States.
Both Modi and Macron had met at the G-20 Summit in Osaka, Japan, which was their first meeting following Modi’s win in the Parliamentary elections for the second consecutive term.
Since France is a strategic partner of India, the talks between the two leaders would concentrate on further deepening the strategic partnership between them in cyber security, space cooperation, military cooperation and enhancing trade and economic ties.
At a community event, Modi will address Indian Diaspora in Paris. Both India and France have worked very closely on counter-terrorism and climate change. In fact, the European nation had played a very critical role in efforts to designate Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist at the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee.
