'India top priority': Why Macron invited PM Modi to G7 summit and what France aims for during his visit

As leaders from the world's top economic power houses gather in France for the G7 summit at Evian next week, spotlight would be on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence. India is about to play a crucial role at the international event despite not being part of the G7 block, French diplomatic sources told Firstpost. They said France eyes 12 deliverables during PM Modi's visit, without divulging details of the outcomes Paris is aiming for in talks with the Indian prime minister.

PM Modi is travelling to France to attend the 52nd G7 summit, which takes place in Évian-les-Bains from June 15 to June 17. Emphasising the strategic importance of India in the international arena, French diplomatic sources in New Delhi said there are two main reasons why it was a "top priority" for the Emmanuel Macron administration to have India at the summit. "First, because we [France] have reached such a level of trust and confidence in our partnership with India that it's very easy for both of us to talk about everything," a French diplomatic source in New Delhi said.

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"Second, we are convinced that considering the science of the group. I tend to say that when India finds a solution to a problem, it will be a solution for the world," the source said, adding that New Delhi's inclusion at the summit also becomes crucial as it is the chair of Brics this year. The French source emphasised that India would be part of all the sessions at the summit, an opportunity only given to a handful of non-member nations.

What's in store

The highly anticipated summit would formally commence on Monday with French President Emmanuel Macron hosting a dinner for G7 leaders along with the representatives of the European Union. The summit is expected to focus on geopolitical crises, economic cooperation, artificial intelligence, and developmental partnerships.

The first session of the summit will be on Tuesday and will deal with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance. There will be a discussion on the ongoing crisis in West Asia, with representatives of Egypt, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in attendance.

While India will be part of all the sessions at the summit, there will be an outreach session on "Tackling the Global Imbalances", which will bring together all the invited countries such as India, Kenya, South Korea and Brazil to deliberate on reducing disparities, the source said.

The summit is expected to focus on six themes, according to the French sources.

1) Dealing with economic imbalances - This would aim at securing concrete arrangements to strike a balance in global trade. The key areas of concerns are China, which produces "too much" and consumes "too little", the US that consumes "too much" and is pushing tariffs to tackle the trade deficit, and Europe, which is aiming to "invent and innovate enough".

2) International partnerships and building new consensus - The sources emphasised that reaching a consensus amid a turbulent world order is extremely crucial for the success of the France-hosted summit. This is where France sees India as a key strategic player. "We need India to contribute and give solutions to global challenges," the diplomatic source said.

3) Online protections - The rapid rise of artificial intelligence and the need to regulate it are expected to be discussed at the summit. France is also expecting world leaders to prioritise regulation of social media access, with several nations banning the use of social media platforms for children under the age of 16.

4) Critical minerals - The summit would call for securing supply chains of critical mineral resources.

5) Health - France is pushing for cancer research and understanding the global health risks associated with critcial illnesses, and disease outbreaks.

6) Security issues - The summit would discuss two core issues: a) rise of financial crimes around the world, and b) illegal human and immigrant trafficking.

With the Iran and Ukraine wars posing serious security and economic risks to the world, the French sources said, the G7 summit discuss the social, economic and security costs of these conflicts with the aim of devising a framework to deal with emerging challenges.

Strategic autonomy in Trump era

With the second presidency of Donald Trump in the US, the international order has undergone a sea change. Tariff and trade have been weaponised like never before. Trump came to the White House for his second innings on the promise of becoming "the President of Peace" by ending the Russia-Ukraine war within weeks. While the Ukraine war still drags on, Trump opened a direct military front with Iran in West Asia. This war has jolted the world economy.

Both India and France have long been advocates of strategic autonomy, but the policy is being challenged by Trump-led US. While India has continued to assert its strategic autonomy in diplomatic conversations, France's attempt has drawn sharp jibes from Trump directed at Macron.

"We have to understand that we do have partners, friends and allies. But on the contrary, one has to build up their own capacity, analysis and decision-making process," the diplomatic source told Firstpost.

"This means the very concept of alliance sometimes has to be adapted. Who would have said that the major ally of Europe would consider buying a territory of Europe [Greenland]. Hence, strategic autonomy is essential for us."

"It explains how we have been able to deploy a power defence and security ecosystem. It's exactly what you are doing in India. It is also what we are proposing for the European Union as well," the source said. However, the French diplomatic source made it clear that the US would continue to remain a crucial ally.

France eyes 12 deliverables during PM Modi's visit

Over the years, France has been one of the strongest allies of India in Europe, with Paris considering New Delhi as its "top priority". With Prime Minister Modi paying a visit to France, the source maintained that bilateral discussions on numerous aspects will be on the table.

The source revealed that France eyed as many as "12 deliverables" during PM Modi's visit to boost India-France ties. "Twelve deliverables are being finalised in the run-up to the visit," the source said, without giving much details what these could be. It would be known once pacts and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) are signed, the source said.

"It is not a client-customer relationship. It is equal to equal," the source said. Central to this partnership is the 'Make in India' initiative, which will be integrated into future defence agreements.

When asked about the Rafale deal, the French diplomatic source maintained that there will be a firm commitment to the integration of local weapons systems. The promotion of civil nuclear cooperation is also likely to feature significantly during bilateral discussions, with the source insisting that both nations are "beginning a new phase".

France plans to open doors for 30,000 Indian students by 2030. The country already saw the enrollment of 12,000 Indian students. The two countries are also engaged in diplomatic-level talks to address issues such as delays in issuance and extension of visa.

"When you have a special global strategic partnership with a country, it doesn't mean that you only have defence and security agreements. It means that you have a collaboration of a civil society," the source said.