NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, saying the exchanges reaffirmed a “shared commitment to global progress and prosperity.”
Modi met UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General António Guterres during the day-long interactions at the summit hosted by South Africa. He also met other leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, before the main session began.
“It was wonderful meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Johannesburg. This year has brought new energy to the India–UK partnership and we will keep driving it forward across many domains,” Modi said in a post on X.
After his talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Modi said they had a “great exchange of views” and that India and Malaysia would continue working to “diversify bilateral cooperation.” Describing his conversation with French President Macron as “engaging,” Modi said India–France ties “remain a force for global good.”
The Prime Minister’s meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung was their second this year. Modi said it reflected “the strong momentum in our Special Strategic Partnership,” adding that both sides discussed ways to deepen economic and investment linkages.
Following his meeting with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Modi said India and Brazil would “continue to work closely to boost trade and cultural linkages for the benefit of our people.” He also described his discussion with UN Secretary-General António Guterres as “very productive.” Modi later shared a family photo with fellow G20 leaders, posting, “Together, we reaffirm our shared commitment to global progress and prosperity.”
Earlier, upon arriving at the summit venue, Modi thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa “for the warm welcome and for organising this important Summit.”
Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership
PM Modi on Saturday also announced the launch of a new trilateral initiative, the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, following a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
“Had an excellent meeting with Anthony Albanese, PM of Australia, and Mark Carney, PM of Canada on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. We are delighted to announce an Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership today,” Modi said in a post on X.
Modi said the initiative would deepen cooperation among the three democratic nations in key areas of technology and innovation. “The initiative will deepen collaboration between democratic partners across three continents and three oceans in emerging technologies, support diversification of supply chains, clean energy and mass adoption of AI,” he added.
According to officials, the ACITI Partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in emerging technologies, build and diversify global supply chains, expand clean energy cooperation and promote wider use of artificial intelligence. Modi said the three countries “look forward to working together to guarantee a better future for the coming generations.” These proposals formed part of India’s broader pitch to enhance global cooperation and build resilience against emerging challenges.
Modi said the ACITI framework would bring together three democracies across three continents to drive innovation, enable cleaner energy transitions, and support the mass adoption of advanced technologies, including AI.