PM Modi greeted with 'namaste' by Italian counterpart Georgia Meloni at G7 Summit

PM Modi's attendance at the summit was at the invitation of Prime Minister Meloni, underscoring the collaborative and inclusive nature of the event. (Image: Reuters)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome from his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, who greeted him with a 'namaste' ahead of an Outreach session on the second day of the high-profile G7 Summit 2024 in Italy's Borgo Egnazia on June 14. His attendance at the summit was at the invitation of Prime Minister Meloni, underscoring the collaborative and inclusive nature of the event.

PM Modi's G7 Summit trip

PM Modi, on the first foreign trip of his third term, arrived in Italy on the morning of June 14 to attend an outreach session of the 50th Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ summit. During the summit, he held discussions with his UK counterpart Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Prime Minister will participate in a summit session entitled "Artificial Intelligence, Energy, Africa-Mediterranean," which will be hosted by Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and joined by Pope Francis. Upon his arrival in Italy, PM Modi expressed his enthusiasm for the summit, stating that he was "looking forward to engaging in productive discussions with world leaders."

The Modi-Meloni camaraderie

Prime Ministers Modi and Meloni share a close rapport, often referring to each other as ‘good friends’. Meloni was the first European leader to congratulate PM Modi on securing his third consecutive term, expressing her commitment to deepening ties between Italy and India.

"Congratulations to Narendra Modi on the new electoral victory and my warmest wishes for good work. Certain that we will continue to work together to strengthen the friendship that unites Italy and India and consolidate cooperation on the various issues that bind us, for the well-being of our Nations and our peoples", she had written on microblogging site X.

Congratulazioni a @narendramodi per la nuova vittoria elettorale e i miei auguri più affettuosi di buon lavoro. Certa che continueremo a lavorare insieme per rafforzare l'amicizia che unisce Italia e India e consolidare la cooperazione sui diversi temi che ci legano, per il… pic.twitter.com/v5XJAqkwOz

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) June 4, 2024

Their friendship was further showcased when they met at the COP28 summit in Dubai last December, where Meloni posted a viral selfie with Modi, captioned ‘Good friends at COP28. #Melodi’. PM Modi responded with, "Meeting friends is always a delight."

Their camaraderie was also evident during the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September.

The Italian PM had posted on X regarding her bilateral meeting with PM Modi, applauding his leadership.

"I thank the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for his stewardship of this Presidency #G20, which has put forward an ambitious agenda on global challenges. We have worked together to ensure the success of this Summit and we will continue to coordinate in bilateral relations and also in view of the Italian Presidency of the G7", she had posted.

Ringrazio il Primo Ministro dell'India @narendramodi per la sua gestione di questa Presidenza #G20, che ha proposto un'agenda ambiziosa sulle sfide globali. Abbiamo lavorato insieme per assicurare il successo di questo Vertice e continueremo a coordinarci nei rapporti bilaterali… pic.twitter.com/dAhwikPmMC

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) September 9, 2023

Their relationship took a significant step forward in March last year when Meloni traveled to India as the chief guest and keynote speaker at the inaugural session of the eighth Raisina Dialogue, marking the first visit by an Italian prime minister in five years.

Italy is hosting the annual summit of leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies from June 13-15. PM Giorgia Meloni has captured the Indian imagination by greeting world leaders with the traditional 'Namaste'. On the inaugural day of the G7 summit, Meloni warmly welcomed European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz with the traditional Indian greeting 'Namaste'. This gesture has significantly resonated with the Indian public and highlighted Meloni’s appreciation of Indian culture.