New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday left for Japan to attend the G7 Summit in Hiroshima in the first leg of his three-nation visit during which he will also visit Papua New Guinea and Australia.
India has been invited as a guest country for the G7 summit. The broad terms of the G7 summit preferences regarding their outreach with the invited guest countries are nuclear disarmament, economic resilience and economic security, regional issues, climate and energy and food and health and development.
During his visit, PM Modi is likely to have a series of bilateral meetings including with Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The Prime Minister is also scheduled to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said on Friday that there is a plan for Quad leaders meeting in Hiroshima. The Quad meeting, which was scheduled to be held in Australia, was cancelled after US President Joe Biden deferred his visit due to the crucial debt-ceiling talks in Washington.
In his departure statement, PM Modi said his presence at the G7 Summit is particularly meaningful as India this year holds the G20 Presidency. G7 Summit will be held in Japan's Hiroshima from May 19-21.
"I will leave for Hiroshima, Japan to attend the G7 Summit under the Japanese Presidency at the invitation of Mr. Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan. It will be a pleasure to meet Prime Minister Kishida again after his recent visit to India for the India - Japan Summit. My presence in this G7 Summit is particularly meaningful as India holds the G20 Presidency this year," the statement said.
"I look forward to exchanging views with the G7 countries and other invited partners on challenges that the world faces and the need to collectively address them. I would also be holding bilateral meetings with some of the leaders attending the Hiroshima G7 Summit," he added.
After concluding his visit to Japan, PM Modi will travel to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
It will be PM Modi's first visit, as also the first-ever visit by any Indian Prime Minister, to Papua New Guinea.
PM Modi will jointly host the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III Summit) with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on May 22.
FIPIC had been launched during PM Modi's visit to Fiji in 2014.
Apart from the FIPIC engagements, PM Modi will also have bilateral interactions with Papua New Guinea Governor General Sir Bob Dadae, Prime Minister Marape and some of the other PIC Leaders participating in the Summit.
After his visit to Papua New Guinea, PM Modi will travel to Sydney at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. During his visit, he will interact with Australian CEOs and business leaders. PM Modi will also interact with the Indian community at a special event in Sydney.
PM Modi said in a series of tweets that he is looking forward to productive deliberations during his visit to three countries.
"Leaving for Japan, where I will be joining the @G7 Summit in Hiroshima. Looking forward to a healthy exchange of views on diverse global subjects.
"After the Japan visit, will be in Papua New Guinea to take part in the FIPIC Summit, a vital forum to boost multilateral cooperation. There will be productive deliberations on subjects such as sustainable development, climate change, healthcare and more," he said.
"I will be in Australia, where I will be holding talks with my friend, PM @AlboMP.
This visit will further cement the India- Australia friendship. I also look forward to interacting with the vibrant Indian community and meeting top Australian CEOs," he added.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that PM Modi's visit is an opportunity to engage with important partners in multilateral and bilateral formats.
"PM @narendramodi embarks on a visit to Japan, Papua New Guinea & Australia. First leg of the visit takes him to Japan for the @G7 Summit. An opportunity to engage with important partners in multilateral and bilateral formats," he said in a tweet.
