Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been on a whirlwind three-nation tour over the last week, from May 20 to May 24.
His first stop was Japan for the G7 summit over the weekend. There he had his first face-to-face meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This meeting was billed as “potentially awkward” given Modi has not officially condemned the Russian invasion. For full reporting on the pair meeting, the Japan Times has more.
While not a part of G7, India was invited to participate in the summit alongside other guest nations. Modi's time at G7 was spent meeting world leaders and taking part in a Quad summit with the US, Japan and Australia. This particular summit was moved up - originally it was meant to take place during the third leg of Modi's trip, in Australia, but was changed when US President Joe Biden had to return to Washington early due to domestic issues around the US's debt ceiling.
Read more on G7 here:
PM Modi thanks Japan’s Kishida for G7 invite as first leg of 3-nation tour ends - Hindustan Times
‘Quad’ urges Indo-Pacific ‘free of coercion’ as it unveils new measures - Japan Times
Ukraine’s Zelensky and India’s Modi hold first face-to-face since Russian invasion - CNN
Next up on his agenda was India’s relationship with the Pacific Islands. Eyes were on Papua New Guinea as leaders across the Pacific gathered for both Modi and a high-level US delegation visit.
Modi’s trip was part of his co-hosting of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and other side meetings.
The US delegation was originally meant to be led by US President Biden, who was due to sign a security agreement with PNG and meet with Pacific Island Forum leaders. However, with Biden's early return to Washington after G7, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken went in his place.
Both visits come at a time when tensions over China’s influence in the Pacific frequently make headlines. In fact, the ABC reported Modi’s visit as a "clear sign that China is not the only emerging great power intent on building its influence across the Pacific."
While in PNG’s capital of Port Moresby, Modi highlighted India as a friend to Pacific Island countries and unveiled a 12-point action plan to drive India’s relationships in the region. Within the plan, India promised help and financial support across areas such as healthcare, renewable energy, and cyber-security.
Read more on Papua New Guinea here:
What is the FIPIC summit that PM Modi attended in Papua New Guinea? - The Indian Express
US, Papua New Guinea sign defence agreement as Modi pledges support for Pacific Islands - Reuters
Modi’s time at the forum also granted space for other bilateral meetings - New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins sat down with Modi to discuss the NZ-India relationship and came away with an invitation to India.
For Modi’s third and final leg of his trip, he flew to Australia for a two-day visit, wrapping up May 24. With the Quad summit held earlier, Modi's visit instead focused on the bilateral relationship, meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for discussions on green hydrogen, defence and more.
Read more on Australia here:
Green hydrogen, defence talks on the table at Albanese-Modi meeting - 9 News
Divided Indian diaspora in Australia tops concerns for Narendra Modi visit - The Conversation
All in all, a busy week for the leader of the world's largest democracy, with more than 40 official engagements.
Banner image: Modi speaks to a crowd in Australia. Image: Facebook.
- Asia Media Centre
