Paris, 18 February (H.S.): French President Emmanuel Macron formally invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a very special guest to the 52nd G7 Summit in Evian on Tuesday, during a high-profile joint press conference here, underscoring the accelerating strategic convergence between the two nations as France assumes the G7 presidency and India chairs BRICS in 2026.
Delivering remarks alongside PM Modi at the conclusion of bilateral talks intertwined with the AI Impact Summit 2026, Macron advocated for an ad hoc preparatory conclave between India and France to forge consensus on pivotal international matters—including macroeconomic disequilibria, resilient supply chains, climate imperatives, and economic security—ahead of the Evian gathering tentatively slated for June.
He portrayed 2026 as a watershed year of acceleration for the partnership, emphasizing collaborative innovation by convening elite youth from Indian universities, French institutions, Europe, and G7 realms to tackle existential global challenges through advancements in artificial intelligence, solar energy, connectivity infrastructure, and beyond.
In a joint statement, PM Modi welcomed the overture, reaffirming India's enduring engagement with the G7 framework—exemplified by his attendance at last year's Canadian-hosted edition—and pledging substantive contributions to fostering an inclusive, multipolar world order amid intertwined presidencies of G7 and BRICS, the latter now encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Indonesia.
President Macron further spotlighted bilateral momentum in defense (encompassing fighter jets and submarines), high-speed rail, research exchanges, trade augmentation, and prospective visa waivers for Indians, while both leaders hailed the stable, predictable alliance as a bulwark yielding tangible yields in critical minerals and Indo-Pacific multilateralism.
The overture arrives atop Macron's joint invitation with Kenyan President William Ruto for Modi to the 'Africa Forward: Partnerships for Innovation and Growth' Summit in Nairobi on May 11-12, where India pledged solidarity in energy transitions, AI, health, agriculture, and the blue economy, amplifying France's overtures to bridge G7-BRICS divides through New Delhi's pivotal brokerage.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
