Kananaskis (Canada): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in this Canadian town on June 17, reaffirming the commitment to deepen the strong ties between India and Italy. Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi said, “Fully agree with you, PM Giorgia Meloni. India’s friendship with Italy will continue to get stronger, greatly benefitting our people!”

Earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi also interacted with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the summit.

In another X post, Modi said, “Outstanding conversations with two dear friends, President Ramaphosa of South Africa and President Lula of Brazil. We are unwavering in our commitment to speaking about issues that matter to the Global South. We are equally determined to do whatever it takes to build a better tomorrow for the coming generations @LulaOficial @CyrilRamaphosa.”

Reflecting the unity among G7 leaders, President Lula tweeted, “The Global South is present at the G7. Meeting with Cyril Ramaphosa and Narendra Modi,” highlighting the united voice of the Global South at the summit.

PM Modi also held talks with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa on Tuesday.

Describing his meeting with von der Leyen, Modi tweeted, “Fruitful discussion with President of the @EU_Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.” Regarding Costa, he said, “Productive conversation with Mr. António Costa, President of the European Council. @eucopresident.”

Earlier this year, on April 27, Meloni expressed Italy’s full support for India in its fight against terrorism. She condemned the “terrible terror attack on Indian soil” and conveyed her thoughts and prayers for the victims, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.

PM Modi acknowledged and appreciated her call and the clear message of support against terrorism and its perpetrators.

During their phone conversation, Modi emphasized that India and Italy will continue to work together, including on international platforms, to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts.

At the summit, a video showed PM Modi greeting Italian PM Giorgia Meloni with a handshake and engaging in brief conversation, displaying a warm camaraderie.

Their friendly rapport has been widely noted on social media, where interactions between the two leaders sparked the trending hashtag #Melodi.

Modi and Meloni have shared moments of friendship publicly, including a selfie at the COP28 summit in Dubai, where Meloni captioned the photo, “Good friends at COP28, #Melodi.”