New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for converting the monopoly in technology into omnipotence to lay the foundation of an inclusive society worldwide even as he interacted with several leaders of the developed world on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy.
Met Pope Francis on the sidelines of the G7 summit. I admire his commitment to serve people and make our planet better. Also invited him to visit India. — Narendra Modi, prime minister
Speaking at the G7 summit's outreach session on Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa and Mediterranean, the PM pointed out that India's motto of “Artificial intelligence for all” is based on this approach. During the G20 summit last year too, India had emphasised the importance of international governance in the field of AI, said to be the most disruptive and unsettling technology to have emerged so far.
Meets pope, Zelenskyy, sunak, macron
– On his first foreign visit after assuming office as PM for the third time, Modi interacted with several world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
– He shared a hug with Pope Francis and invited him to visit India
– He also met French President Emmanuel Macron, UK PM Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian PM Meloni
He also referred to the successful harnessing of technology by India in conducting the world's largest elections and described his victory as a victory for the democratic world. “And I am very happy to be present among all of you friends a few days after assuming office,” he observed.
This was Modi's first foreign trip after assuming office as PM for the third time. PM Modi's bilateral engagements included his interaction with Pope Francis, attending his first G7 summit and a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy which sought to compensate for his non-attendance at the Ukraine Peace Summit scheduled in nearby Switzerland over the weekend. The PM posted on X that he invited the Pope to visit India. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he discussed the Peace Summit with PM Modi and thanked him for sending a high-level delegation to Switzerland. PM Modi again reiterated that India would do all it could do within its means to support a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict.
The PM also underlined that the way to peace is through dialogue and diplomacy. “India is eager to further cement bilateral relations with Ukraine,” he posted on X. In a much more detailed post on X, the Ukrainian side said the two leaders also discussed several other issues. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra were part of the team for the talks. The two leaders had last met on the sidelines of the previous summit in May last year. PM Modi arrived in Italy's Apulia late on Thursday night to attend the G7 outreach meet along with leaders and heads of a dozen other nations and international organisations, including the Indian-origin World Bank chief Ajay Banga. The host and PM of Italy Giorgia Meloni welcomed PM Modi with a namaste, as she did to several other G7 leaders.
The PM also met and shared a hug with Pope Francis where the talking point was a seemingly disoriented US President Joe Biden touching his forehead with that of the Pope. Biden also became the subject of concern and memes when he wandered off from a group photo of G-7 leaders and Meloni walked over to guide him back. Making up for the three-month hiatus in international diplomacy due to the General Election, PM Modi also met several G7 leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, UK PM Rishi Sunak, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian PM Meloni. With France, the talks touched on defence, space and connectivity, wrote MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on X.
The PM later met Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau and posted a photo on X.
