Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has confirmed his participation in the upcoming G7 summit in Canada after receiving a formal invitation from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The summit is scheduled to take place from June 15 to 17.
Initially, Modi’s name was missing from the list of Global South leaders invited to the summit. This sparked criticism from opposition parties in India, who viewed the omission as a sign of India’s growing diplomatic isolation amid recent tensions with Pakistan.
However, Modi announced on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that he has now been officially invited and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Carney for the gesture. He also congratulated Carney on his recent election win and said India and Canada would work together based on mutual respect and shared values.
Relations between the two nations had been strained following accusations made by former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who alleged that Indian government agents were involved in the 2023 killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, Canada. Both countries scaled back diplomatic ties following the claims, which India strongly denied as politically motivated.
Indian media, including The Indian Express, has highlighted Modi’s invitation as a positive step toward improving bilateral relations. The G7 summit offers a platform for dialogue, even though India is not a member of the group. Host nations often invite non-member countries as outreach partners or special guests.
The G7 is an informal group consisting of seven of the world’s most advanced economies: the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Japan. The European Union, United Nations, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund also regularly attend its meetings.