At G7 Summit, PM Modi urges world leaders to shield vulnerable countries from West Asia crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday emerged as the voice of the Global South as he urged global leaders at the G7 Summit in France to not let the most vulnerable countries suffer due to the disruptions caused by the West Asia crisis.

Addressing the Group of Seven (G7) Summit’s Outreach Session on ‘Reviving a Balanced, Shared and Sustainable Economic Growth for All’, Prime Minister Modi called for strengthening international solidarity amid disruptions in fuel, fertiliser and food supply chains.

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The PM said that the crisis caused by the US-Iran war will have a long-lasting impact on the Global South.

“The disruptions in fuel, fertiliser and food supply chains caused by the crisis in West Asia will continue to impact the Global South for a considerable period. If we genuinely seek to strengthen international solidarity, the most vulnerable countries should not be left to bear the burden of these crises alone,” Modi said.

He urged global financial institutions to help developing countries absorb the shocks and maintain economic resilience.

“Our international financial institutions should develop support mechanisms that help developing countries absorb these shocks and maintain their economic resilience,” he added.

Modi also noted that India’s experience showcases that shared development can help transform aspiration into reality.

He further highlighted India’s growth story, describing it as a journey of “inclusion, scale and democratic empowerment.”

“It is inspired by ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ (Together with all, Development for all, Trust of all, Efforts by all). And, it has been reflected in countless occasions such as India’s G20 Presidency, the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and more.”

PM Modi noted that many societies are becoming ageing societies while India and other nations of the Global South have an abundance of young talent, entrepreneurship and skills.

In order to harness this complementarity, PM Modi called for creating a Global Skills Partnership, where nations can work together on skill mapping and promoting trusted skilled mobility.

“Like the vision of IMEC, can we work on connectivity projects with countries in Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Islands? By combining G7 capital, India’s talent and the ownership of Global South countries, we may also consider establishing an International Mobilisation Partnership for Accelerating Connectivity and Trade (IMPACT),” he said.

Earlier in the day, Modi also interacted with several world leaders, including his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni, UK PM Keir Starmer, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.