Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend summit in Evian, discuss defence deals, innovation partnership
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France has invited India to participate in all six sessions of next week’s G7 summit meeting, underscoring New Delhi’s status as a “top priority” partner and highlighting the special relationship between the two, according to French diplomatic sources.Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Evian, France, at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron for the 52nd G7 Summit, which begins June 15. This will be India’s 13th participation at the G7 summit and Prime Minister Modi’s seventh consecutive participation at the summit, the MEA noted.Bilateral talksMacron and Modi will also hold bilateral talks where the two will take forward discussions on defence deals, including on Rafale jets, and approve a dozen agreements on innovation in various fields.“On June 16 and June 17, the days dedicated to outreach sessions for the summit, the Prime Minister will participate alongside other invited countries. The discussion will broadly focus on international partnerships and developmental solidarity, fostering shared and balanced growth and the effective and efficient rollout of artificial intelligence,” MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said at a media briefing on Thursday.While the heads of state of the G7 bloc of indusrialised nations – France, the US, Canada, Japan, the UK, Italy, Germany–will be the core participants, France has also extended invitations to outreach countries including India, Kenya, South Korea and Brazil.“India is top priority, we have reached level of trust and confidence. Its easy for both of us to talk about anything. When India will find solution for its problem, it will be for the world. As the chair of the BRICS, India has its own agenda. We have in our mind the success of India’s G20…We have invited India to join all tracks,” the source said.The sessions at the meeting include ones on ‘global economy and macro-economic stability’, where India is likely to be represented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and one on `digital economy & safe rollout of AI’ which is set to be attended by the Indian PM, the source said.“US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on other countries and the energy crisis are likely to be among issues discussed at the session on global economy and macro-economic stability,” the source said.The session on trade policy, multilateral institutions, and supply chain resilience, too, is likely to focus on the emerging tariff architecture, among other critical issues.India’s contributions would be important also in the session on geopolitical cricis and global security where the major active global conflicts (including the West Asia crisis and Russia’s war on Ukraine), maritime security, and regional stability, would be discussed.Published on June 11, 2026
