Prime Minister Narendra Modi met several world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg yesterday. In a social media post, he stated that the meetings reaffirmed their shared commitment to global progress and prosperity. Mr Modi met his British counterpart, Prime Minister Keir Starmer; Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; French President Emmanuel Macron; German Chancellor Friedrich Merz; South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung; Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva; and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He also interacted with the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
In his post, PM Modi described his meeting with Prime Minister Starmer as “wonderful,” noting that this year has brought new energy to the India-UK partnership, which will continue to advance across multiple domains. He said his exchange with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was “great,” emphasizing that the two countries will work together to diversify bilateral cooperation. Regarding his discussion with French President Emmanuel Macron, PM Modi said it was an engaging exchange on several issues, underscoring that India-France ties remain a force for global good.
PM Modi also held talks with Angola’s President and African Union Chair João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, highlighting India’s valued friendship with Angola and efforts to expand trade and cultural linkages. He met Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, describing India-Ethiopia ties as a partnership rooted in history and strengthened by developmental cooperation. On his meeting with Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to a stronger and future-oriented partnership with Vietnam.
PM Modi further interacted with World Trade Organization Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and World Health Organization Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Before the start of the first session of the Summit, he also met with other leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Earlier, upon arriving at the G20 Summit venue, PM Modi thanked South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for the warm welcome and for organizing the important Summit.
