Rome: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived here in Italy to participate in the G20 Summit where he will join other leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from COVID-19, sustainable development and climate change.
“Landed in Rome to take part in the @g20org Summit, an important forum to deliberate on key global issues. I also look forward to other programmes through this visit to Rome”, Modi said on Twitter soon after landing here.
Landed in Rome to take part in the @g20org Summit, an important forum to deliberate on key global issues. I also look forward to other programmes through this visit to Rome. pic.twitter.com/e4UuIIfl7f
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 29, 2021
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that Prime Minister Modi arrived here for his visit to attend the 16th G-20 Summit.
Prime Minister was received by senior officials of the Government of Italy and Ambassador of India in Italy, it said.
MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter that Modi arrived to a warm welcome.
“Arrivo a Roma! PM @narendramodi arrives to a warm welcome in the Eternal City. Looking forward to extensive engagements in bilateral and multilateral formats”, Bagchi said in a tweet.
Arrivo a Roma!
PM @narendramodi arrives to a warm welcome in the Eternal City.
Looking forward to extensive engagements in bilateral and multilateral formats. pic.twitter.com/1goMfaXqmc
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) October 29, 2021
In his departure statement on Thursday, Modi said he will be visiting Rome and the Vatican City from October 29-31 at the invitation of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, following which he will travel to Glasgow, the UK, from November 1-2 at the invitation of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“In Rome, I will attend the 16th G20 Leaders’ Summit, where I will join other G20 leaders in discussions on global economic and health recovery from the pandemic, sustainable development, and climate change,” Modi said, noting this will be the first in-person summit of the G20 since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Modi said the meeting will allow the G20 to take stock of the current global situation and exchange ideas on how the grouping can be an engine for strengthening economic resilience and building back inclusively and sustainably from the pandemic.
“During my visit to Italy, I will also visit the Vatican City, to call on His Holiness Pope Francis and meet Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin,” Modi said on Thursday.
The prime minister said on the sidelines of the G20 Summit he will also meet with leaders of other partner countries and review the progress in India’s bilateral relations with them.
There would also be various bilateral and community-related programmes during this visit, he said.
Meet with chiefs of European Council, Commission
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held wide-ranging talks with the top leaders of the European Union here during which the two sides discussed deepening the India-EU friendship, particularly in areas such as political and security relations, trade, culture and the environment.
Prime Minister Modi, who arrived here earlier in the day to participate in the G20 Summit, began his official engagements in Rome with a productive interaction with President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
“Official engagements in Rome begin with a productive interaction with @eucopresident Charles Michel and @vonderleyen, President of the @EU_Commission. The leaders discussed ways to enhance economic as well as people-to-people linkages aimed at creating a better planet, the Prime Minister Office tweeted.
Official engagements in Rome begin with a productive interaction with @eucopresident Charles Michel and @vonderleyen, President of the @EU_Commission.
The leaders discussed ways to enhance economic as well as people-to-people linkages aimed at creating a better planet. pic.twitter.com/Uvk4JLN5Ca
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 29, 2021
Later, Modi described as wonderful his meeting with the EU leaders on the sidelines of the 16th G20 Summit here.
“Wonderful meeting with @EU_Commission President @vonderleyen and @eucopresident Charles Michel. We had wide-ranging talks on deepening the India-EU friendship, particularly in areas such as trade, commerce, culture and the environment, Modi tweeted after the meeting.
In a tweet, European Council President Michel said India has a key role to play in green transition.
“India has a key role to play in green transition. We discussed global health and fighting the pandemic, the strong EU-India Strategic Partnership, the situation in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific, he said, amid China flexing muscles in the region.
European Commission President Leyen said it was good to meet Prime Minister Modi.
“Good to meet @narendramodi. Our strategic agenda is on the right track. We agreed that our trade negotiators will start to work. We ll deepen our cooperation on climate including on innovation & technology Looking forward to cooperating in the Indo-Pacific, she said in a tweet.
She also congratulated India for its excellent progress on vaccination and for resuming vaccines exports. We need to join forces to help vaccinate the world and beat the global pandemic, Leyen said.
Her remarks came as India achieved a major milestone in its vaccination programme against COVID-19 as the cumulative vaccine doses administered in the country surpassed the 100-crore mark last week.
After their meeting, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that they held extensive discussions on a number of key issues.
“Deepening ties between India and EU! PM @narendramodi met European Council President Charles Michel @eucopresident & European Commission President @vonderleyen. An extensive discussion covering trade & investment ties, climate change, COVID-19, global & regional developments, Bagchi said on Twitter.
They recalled their productive virtual engagements in the form of India-EU Leaders’ meeting in the form of EU+27 in May 2021 and the 15th India EU Summit in July 2020, the MEA said in a press release.
During the meeting, they reviewed India-EU cooperation covering political and security relations, trade and investment and economic cooperation as well as the Roadmap2025 agreed at the last India-EU Summit, it said.
“They also discussed climate change, Covid-19 pandemic and contemporary global and regional developments of interest to both sides, it said, adding that the EU leaders also congratulated India for its excellent progress on vaccination.
Prime Minister Modi also paid floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Rome.
“In Rome, I had the opportunity to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi, whose ideas give courage and inspiration to millions globally, Modi said.
The 15th India-EU summit was held in a virtual mode in July 2020, which was attended by Prime Minister Modi, European Council President Michel and European Commission President Leyen.
In 2020, India was the EU’s 10th largest trading partner accounting for 1.8 per cent of the EU’s total bilateral trade in goods. India-EU bilateral trade in goods in 2020 was valued at Euro 65.30 billion.
India-EU bilateral relations date back to the early 1960s with India being amongst the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community in 1962.
The first India-EU Summit took place on 28 June 2000 in Lisbon. The relationship was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership’ during the 5th India-EU Summit held in 2004 in The Hague.
The EU is a political and economic bloc comprising 27 member states located primarily in Europe.
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