Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni delighted social media users at the G7 Outreach Summit in Italy when they shared a cheerful selfie together on the sidelines of the event.
The G7 summit, held in Apulia, Italy, concluded on Friday with several notable interactions among world leaders. Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Meloni’s impromptu selfie moment captured the attention of onlookers and quickly became a trending topic online. The image showed both leaders smiling broadly as Meloni snapped the selfie with Modi, showcasing a friendly rapport between the two.
The camaraderie between Modi and Meloni isn’t entirely new; the leaders had previously met at the G20 Summit in Delhi and later at COP 28 in Dubai. Their interactions have become fodder for internet memes, with the hashtag “Melodi” gaining traction across social media platforms.
During their bilateral meeting at the G7 Summit, Modi and Meloni discussed crucial aspects of defence and security cooperation between India and Italy. A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs highlighted their discussions on enhancing defence industrial collaboration, with both leaders anticipating the visit of the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour and training ship ITS Vespucci to India later this year.
In a gesture of historical recognition, Prime Minister Modi expressed gratitude to the Italian Government for honoring the contributions of the Indian Army during World War II. He also announced plans for India to upgrade the Yashwant Ghadge Memorial in Montone, Italy, further solidifying the bilateral ties between the two nations.
The warm exchange and the light-hearted selfie between Modi and Meloni underscored the diplomatic relations between India and Italy, reflecting a blend of personal rapport and substantial strategic discussions on global platforms like the G7 Summit.
The selfie moment continues to circulate widely online, exemplifying how international diplomacy can also embrace moments of warmth and camaraderie amid discussions of serious global issues.