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New Delhi [India], May 18 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Hiroshima in Japan from May 19 to 21 for the Group of Seven (G7) summit. He will be the second Indian head of state to visit Hiroshima, since Jawaharlal Nehru in 1957. US President Joe Biden would also meet Modi on the sidelines of the G7 summit.The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. In 1997 Russia joined the group which was then renamed G8 until the country was suspended in 2014 following the crisis in Crimea, and the group reverted to the 'G7'.Japan, which is hosting the G7 this year, has invited India as the guest country. India has been a regular guest of the G7, invited by France in 2019, by the UK in 2021, and when Germany was the host in 2022. In 2020 India was invited by the US to the G7, though it was cancelled on account of Covid-19. 2023 sees India hold the presidency of both the G20 and the SCO after the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, there is no better moment for India to restate its geopolitical significance than through an enabling role as a guest of the G7. Being on the high table of the G7 is an indication that India is on the right path in the international power circuit, an endorsement by the rich and powerful that India mattered.Among the issues that are likely to set the G7 agenda in 2023 international trade plays a key role. The interdependence of economic globalisation has also raised awareness of transnational issues and yet member states of important bodies like the G7 fall short of providing adequate answers to international conflicts and policy crises. As a regular guest member of the G7 India is uniquely placed because it is both an emerging and developing country but has a claim and a stake in global decision-making. In many ways, India, a regular guest of the G7 is representative of the countries left out of the steering group.Two overlapping challenges will dominate the discussions among the G7 - the first is Russia's campaign in Ukraine and the second concerns the grim state of the global economy rocked not just by war but also by Covid-19. Spiralling food and fuel costs threaten the humanitarian plight of people.The suspension of Russia from the G8 has left the G7 as a grouping of members who are generally ideologically aligned. And now with the war in Ukraine, the G7 is likely to regain importance as its limited membership is more ideologically aligned. In this India stands out as it has traditionally and presently remained neutral and has resisted efforts by the West to criticise Russia. Under the circumstances, India could express its concern that the United States and its allies are exacerbating the economic crisis by using sanctions against Moscow. India, one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, must highlight that Western sanctions collectively by the G7 have contributed to the cascade of global shocks. Although a guest nation, India could voice to the G7 leaders that while Ukraine is consuming their attention other global conflicts need to be addressed notably through the G7's financial muscle.As a guest nation, India could stress that G7 must explicitly recognise that its members will phase out coal power generation by 2030 and encourage all other countries to do likewise by providing financial and diplomatic support to dedicated initiatives and instruments in order to meet climate goals. Challenging coal transition circumstances reflected in countries like India and South Africa can be reflected in other countries as well and progress made by the G7 Nations towards supporting guest members like India could set positive precedents for transition in some of the world's big coal users like Indonesia and Vietnam.India can contribute to the discussion by stressing on the greater provision of global public goods such as quality infrastructure, global health, multilateral concerted solutions to global challenges such as climate change, and also highlight the need to formulate policies for maximising and sharing benefits from artificial intelligence. As India becomes the world's most populous country the inclusion of population issues such as jobs for vast youth and health and care of the ageing population can be highlighted in the G7 agenda. India must reaffirm the G7 trade acquis which traditionally rests on supporting the multilateral trading system. Thus, in order for India to realise its own ideas in the world it is essential to actively speak on global issues and win the confidence of the world.Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

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