In a significant diplomatic development, French President Emmanuel Macron has extended an invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 52nd G7 Summit, which France will preside over in 2026. The announcement came during a press statement in Mumbai, where President Macron emphasised the unique opportunity presented by both nations assuming leadership roles in major international groupings this year.
President Macron characterised 2026 as a "year of acceleration for our partnership," highlighting the symbolic and practical significance of India chairing the BRICS Summit while France leads the G7 . This convergence of leadership roles, he suggested, creates unprecedented opportunities for shaping the global agenda.
"This year, 2026, is a year of acceleration for our partnership, of translating much of this agenda into action," President Macron stated. "It is also the year in which the Prime Minister, you, will chair the BRICS group, and France will chair the G7 group. In this spirit, I have invited Prime Minister Modi as a very special guest to the G7 Summit in Evian".
The French President's invitation reflects the deepening trust and strategic alignment between the two nations, which have enjoyed a stable and predictable partnership spanning decades.
Beyond the summit invitation, President Macron proposed a preparatory ad hoc meeting between India and France in the weeks leading up to the Evian Summit. This meeting aims to establish concrete areas of agreement on the international agenda and address major global imbalances.
"It is also in this spirit that we are keen to build consensus a few weeks before this G7 Summit through an ad hoc meeting that will enable us to try to establish concrete areas of agreement on the international agenda and the resolution of major imbalances before the Evian Summit," the French President explained .
This proactive approach underscores both nations' commitment to coordinating their positions on critical global issues, ranging from economic security and resilient supply chains to climate action and international security.
A distinctive feature of the forthcoming engagement will be a dedicated focus on innovation and youth. President Macron announced plans for a bilateral segment bringing together young minds from India's premier universities and research centres with their counterparts from France, Europe, and G7 countries.
"It is also to this end that we have together decided to have, as part of a bilateral segment that the Prime Minister will hold, a moment for innovation, our youth, bringing together Indian youth from the best universities and research centres, our youth in France, Europe, and the G7, so that we can continue to mobilise in the service of innovation and the resolution of the major problems we face," he said.
This emphasis on youth engagement reflects the broader vision of harnessing demographic dividends and intellectual capital to address global challenges through collaborative innovation.
President Macron called for making the India-France partnership "even more effective, particularly in terms of research, student exchanges, and trade" . He highlighted concrete achievements in sectors such as solar energy, major connectivity infrastructure, and artificial intelligence, describing these as "extremely tangible results" of the bilateral partnership.
"Fundamentally, the partnership between India and France is a stable, predictable partnership that serves both our peoples and has yielded many results in recent years," President Macron affirmed.
The French leader articulated a vision that extends beyond bilateral cooperation to shaping multilateral outcomes: "It is in this spirit that we want to continue to move forward with Prime Minister Modi, and it is also in this spirit that, beyond bilateral partnerships, we will move forward in the framework of our respective presidencies to not only bring together the G7 and the BRICS countries, but also to bring together our common views on the major issues".
Prime Minister Modi has welcomed the invitation, noting India's longstanding partnership with the G7 and its commitment to contributing constructively to global discussions . This will continue India's active engagement with the grouping—last year, Prime Minister Modi attended the summit on the invitation of then-Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
According to the joint statement issued following the announcement, both leaders expressed confidence that India's participation would strengthen collective efforts to address global challenges and promote "a more balanced, inclusive, and resilient international order".
President Macron also recalled the invitation extended jointly with Kenyan President William Ruto to Prime Minister Modi for the 'Africa Forward: Partnerships between Africa and France for Innovation and Growth' Summit, scheduled for May 11 and 12 in Nairobi . Prime Minister Modi thanked President Macron for the invitation and reaffirmed India's support in areas of mutual interest, including energy transition, artificial intelligence, health, agriculture, and the blue economy.
Leave Your Comment