PM Modi's Action-Packed Hiroshima Visit: Bilateral Meetings, G7 & Quad Summits in Focus | Full Schedule

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Hiroshima, Japan on Friday to attend the annual summit of the G7 grouping and the highly anticipated third in-person Quad leaders’ meeting. The Prime Minister is slated to hold a series of bilateral meetings including those with Japan, Vietnam, France and Ukraine and is slated to unveil a Gandhi bust.

Kickstarting the first leg of his three-nation trip, which includes Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, PM Modi is scheduled to participate in over 40 engagements according to officials.

Here is a breakdown of PM Modi’s engagements on Saturday, May 20 (IST timings):

PM to Emphasise ‘Voice of Global South’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his commitment to representing the interests of the Global South at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on Friday. In an interview with Nikkei Asia, PM Modi highlighted his eagerness to engage in discussions on global changes and challenges, specifically in the areas of energy, digital technology, and supply chains.

“I will emphasise India’s role as a reliable partner in addressing these challenges,” PM Modi stated. He further emphasised that India’s experience would strongly resonate during the summit.

Prime Minister Modi highlighted the growing convergence of political, strategic, security, and economic interests during the interview. “We now see a growing convergence in our political, strategic, security, and economic interests,” he stated.

PM Modi’s Talks With Ukraine President

The Prime Minister is set to hold bilateral talks with Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 summit, the first such meeting between the two leaders since onset of the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

When asked about India’s potential role as a mediator, PM Modi reiterated India’s clear and unwavering position on the Ukraine conflict. “India stands on the side of peace, and will remain firmly there. We are committed to supporting those who face challenges in meeting their basic needs, especially in the face of rising costs of food, fuel, and fertilizers. We maintain communication with both Russia and Ukraine,” he affirmed.

Modi has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Zelenskyy a number of times since the conflict began.

During a phone conversation with Zelensky on October 4 last year, PM Modi stressed on ‘no military solution’ and expressed India’s readiness to “contribute to any peace efforts.”

In a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin held on September 16, last year in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, PM Modi underlined the contemporary era’s focus on peace. He urged the Russian leader to bring an end to the conflict by stating, “Today’s era is not of war.”

G7 Summit

Emphasising the significance of cooperation and collaboration over conflict, PM Modi expressed his anticipation for exchanging views with G7 countries and other invited partners at the Hiroshima summit. He also mentioned his plans to hold bilateral meetings with select leaders attending the summit.

“I look forward to exchanging views with the G7 countries and other invited partners on challenges that the world faces and the need to collectively address them. I would also be holding bilateral meetings with some of the leaders attending the Hiroshima G7 Summit,” PM Modi stated in his departure statement.

Later in a Tweet, he said, “Landed in Hiroshima to join the G7 Summit proceedings. Will also be having bilateral meetings with various world leaders.”

The Group of Seven (G7) consists of the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, and Japan. As the current chair of the G7, Japan extended invitations to India and seven other countries to participate in the summit.

Notably, all G7 countries are also members of the Group of Twenty (G20). India currently holds the presidency of the G20 and has been actively working towards achieving consensus for a joint communique at the G20 summit scheduled for September. The G20 comprises additional nations such as Russia and China, providing a broader platform for global economic cooperation and policy coordination.

The originally planned location for the Quad summit in Sydney, Australia was changed to Hiroshima slated due to US President Joe Biden’s need to prioritise debt-ceiling talks in Washington.

The Quad leaders, representing the United States, India, Australia, and Japan, will convene in Hiroshima on Friday to discuss ways to enhance their cooperation on various crucial matters including, critical and emerging technologies, high-quality infrastructure, global health, climate change, maritime domain awareness, and other significant issues relevant to the Indo-Pacific region, as stated by the White House.