France’s Macron and India’s Modi meet on sidelines of G7 summit

BORGO EGNAZIA: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy on Friday (June 14).

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Modi joined other heads of state and government invited by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to take part in G7 summit.

France is India’s second-largest arms supplier and has been one of its oldest and closest partners in Europe for decades. It was the only Western nation that did not impose sanctions on New Delhi after India conducted nuclear tests in 1998.

India has relied on French fighter jets for four decades now. Much before buying Dassault Aviation’s Rafale, India bought Mirage jets in the 1980s and those still comprise two squadrons of the Air Force.

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Later on Friday, Modi is also scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with Pope Francis.