Modi to attend G7 summit in Germany, visit UAE next
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Germany as a special guest at the G7 Summit on June 26-27, before travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to hold meetings with the top leadership of the country, the external affairs ministry said on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister will go to the German resort of Schloss Elmau at the invitation of Chancellor Olaf Scholz for the G7 summit. He is expected to speak in two sessions that will focus on environment, energy, climate, food security, health, gender equality and democracy, the ministry said. Besides India, countries such as Indonesia, South Africa, Argentina and Senegal have been invited to the summit of the group of seven of the world’s advanced economies in an effort to strengthen international collaboration on these important issues, MEA added.
On the sidelines of the summit, Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with leaders of some of the participating countries. Modi last visited Germany in May with senior members of the cabinet for the India-germany intergovernmental consultations.
Analysts believe Scholz’s invitation to Modi is part of Germany’s efforts to woo India away from Russia against the backdrop of the conflict in Ukraine. India has maintained a neutral stance on the Ukraine crisis due to its long-standing strategic and security ties with Russia, and repeatedly called for an end to hostilities and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
Sameer Patil, senior fellow at Observer Research Foundation (ORF), said India is the only major democracy that has not completely sided with the West in the Ukraine crisis. “Even though there is an understanding in European capitals that India won’t completely endorse the West’s position, nonetheless it is important for them to continue to woo India as has been reflected by the back-to-backs visits to New Delhi by the UK foreign secretary, the German foreign minister and the European Commission president,” he said.
During the visit in May, India and Germany signed several agreements on sustainable development that will provide
India €10 billion in aid by 2030 to expand use of clean energy. At the time, Scholz described India as “central partner for Germany in Asia, in terms of economy, defence and climate policy”. From the G7 Summit, Modi will travel to the UAE on June 28. During the short visit, which is expected to last less than a day, he will pay his condolences on the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president and ruler of Abu Dhabi. He will also congratulate Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his election as the new president. The visit follows widespread anger over controversial comments against Prophet Mohammed by two BJP spokespersons who were later removed by the party.
The UAE condemned remarks but, unlike Kuwait and Qatar, didn’t summon Indian envoy to register a protest.