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This is why Modi feels his presence at Japan G7 summit is meaningful: ‘Looking forward to…’

Modi will be on a three-day visit between May 19 and 24 and besides Japan, he will visit Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Prime minister Narendra Modi enplanes for Japan to attend G7 Summit in the first leg of his three-nation visit during which he will also visit Papua New Guinea and Australia, in New Delhi on Friday, May 19, 2023. (ANI Photo)

By: Shubham Ghosh

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday (19) said before leaving for Japan that his presence at the G7 summit in Hiroshima is meaningful as the South Asian nation is currently holding presidency of the G20 grouping.

Modi will be on a three-day visit starting Friday and besides Japan, he will visit Papua New Guinea and Australia.

Ahead of his participating in the G7 summit where key nations and international bodies will be present, the prime minister said he was looking forward to exchanging views with the countries that have been invited on various challenges the world is facing today.

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He will also be speaking to the invited partners about the need to put up a united face to address global problems, Modi added.

“I would also be holding bilateral meetings with some of the leaders attending the Hiroshima G7 Summit,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

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He also said that it would be a pleasure meeting his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida who invited the former to the summit during his visit to India in March. Modi will be the first Indian prime minister to visit Hiroshima after India became a nuclear power. The last Indian premier to visit the city was Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957.

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“…Looking forward to a healthy exchange of views on diverse global subjects,” Modi tweeted before leaving the Indian shores for the east Asian nation.

He also noted that he would be travelling to Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea, thus becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit the island in the Pacific Ocean.

On Monday (22), Modi will host the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Island Cooperation (FIPIC III Summit) jointly with James Marape, his Papua New Guinean counterpart.

“I am grateful that all 14 Pacific Island Countries (PIC) have accepted the invitation to attend this important summit. FIPIC had been launched during my visit to Fiji in 2014, and I look forward to engaging with the PIC leaders on issues that bring us together, such as climate change and sustainable development, capacity building and training, health and well-being, infrastructure and economic development,” PTI said quoting PM Modi.

Modi will finally travel to Australia where he will hold bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

He said it would be an opportunity to take stock of “our bilateral ties and follow up on our first India-Australia Annual Summit held in New Delhi in March”.

“I will also interact with Australian CEOs and business leaders and meet the Indian community in Sydney at a special event,” he said.

“This visit will further cement the India-Australia friendship,” the prime minister tweeted.

Modi was also scheduled to attend the Quad summit in Sydney on May 24 but the event got cancelled after US president Joe Biden called off the visit due to domestic reasons.

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