PM Modi reiterates India's stance on Ukraine at G7 Summit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Italy on Thursday, his first foreign trip since returning to the country for a third term. He will attend the G7 summit, where India has been invited as an outreach country.

At the meeting in Puglia, the prime minister will restate his position on Ukraine, saying "dialogue and diplomacy" are the "best options" to resolve the conflict, officials said.

During his stay in Italy, Modi will hold bilateral meetings with other G7 leaders, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and US President Joe Biden.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that Biden "looks forward to meeting Prime Minister Modi in Italy and there will be an opportunity for the two leaders to meet."

According to the Vatican, the Indian leader will also meet Pope Francis on the sidelines of the meeting. In a statement ahead of the visit, Modi noted that Georgian Prime Minister Meloni's two visits to India last year "were important in adding dynamism and depth to the bilateral agenda." Italy is India's fourth-largest economic partner in the European Union. Bilateral trade currently stands at $15 billion, according to New Delhi.

Foreign Minister Vinay Kwatra told media on Wednesday that India's regular participation in G7 summits signals growing recognition of the country's efforts to address global challenges such as security, economic development and environmental protection.

"India's participation in this G7 summit assumes particular significance in the backdrop of India's recent and, though not recent, G20 presidency, in which it has played a leading role in building global consensus on various contentious issues," he said.

Asked about India's possible contribution to the summit on the Ukraine crisis, Kwatra said, "We have always been at the forefront, talking not just about the conflict and the need for dialogue and diplomacy, but also how the conflict impacts the priorities and interests of developing countries."

He reiterated that India believes diplomacy is key to resolving the crisis. "I would recall the Prime Minister's own statement that today is no longer the time for war. This statement was widely acknowledged and praised," he added. 

Kwatra, however, refused to reveal details about who would represent New Delhi at the upcoming Swiss-hosted meeting on Ukraine.