On selfie video with Giorgia Meloni, here's how PM Narendra Modi reacted

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reacted to his viral selfie video with Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni at the G7 Summit in Italy's Apulia.

“Long live India-Italy friendship!” captioned the prime minister in response to the video shared by Meloni on her X handle. The two leaders are seen to share a laugh in the video posted by Meloni on X and Instagram.

On an invitation by Italian premier Meloni, PM Modi travelled to Apulia to attend the G7 summit, his first overseas visit in the third term in office.

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At the invitation of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, PM Modi travelled to the Apulia region in Italy to participate in the G7 Outreach Summit.

During their bilateral meet, both Modi and Meloni called for the early implementation of a migration and mobility agreement.

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“Had a very good meeting with PM @GiorgiaMeloni . Thanked her for inviting India to be a part of the G7 Summit and for the wonderful arrangements. We discussed ways to further cement India-Italy relations in areas like commerce, energy, defence, telecom and more. Our nations will work together in futuristic areas like biofuels, food processing and critical minerals,” PM Modi had posted on X after the meeting.

The migration and mobility agreement between India and Italy, once implemented, would enable the mobility of professionals, skilled and semi-skilled workers, students, and researchers between the two partner countries. Discussions on this mobility agreement have been on for some time now.

Last December, the Union cabinet had granted ex-post facto approval to the proposal of the Ministry of External Affairs to sign and ratify the Migration and Mobility Agreement between the two countries.

According to the agreement, the Indian students wishing to gather initial professional experience after completing academic or vocational training in Italy may be granted temporary residence in Italy for up to 12 months.

PM Modi also had a brief meeting with US President Joe Biden during the G7 Summit. The prime minister said that both the countries will continue to work together for global good. 

Modi also had a brief interaction with Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau amid India-Canada tensions. The relations between the two countries are strained after Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey in British Columbia last year.

(With agency inputs)