International
oi-Amit Vasudev
Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modi
is
not
expected
to
attend
the
upcoming
Group
of
Seven
(G7)
summit
hosted
by
Canada
–
marking
his
first
absence
in
six
years
and
highlighting
the
strained
diplomatic
ties
between
the
two
nations,
reported
Bloomberg.
A
spokesperson
for
Canadian
Prime
Minister
Mark
Carney
said
the
list
of
G7
attendees
would
be
revealed
“in
due
course.”
Modi
Not
Invited
To
G-7
Summit
When
asked
on
May
22,
ministry
spokesperson
Randhir
Jaiswal
stated,
“I
have
no
information
at
this
point
in
time
on
this
issue.”
India
is
not
a
member
of
the
G7
–
a
bloc
comprising
the
United
States,
United
Kingdom,
Germany,
France,
Italy,
Canada,
and
Japan
–
but
has
received
invitations
to
participate
every
year
since
2019.
According
to
Indian
officials,
Modi
would
likely
have
declined
an
invitation
even
if
one
had
been
extended,
as
it
remains
unclear
how
Canada’s
newly
elected
Carney
government
intends
to
address
India’s
concerns
regarding
Sikh
separatist
groups
active
within
its
borders.
Tensions
between
the
two
countries
persist
following
allegations
that
the
Modi
administration
was
connected
to
homicides
and
extortion
schemes
targeting
Sikhs
in
Canada
who
support
the
creation
of
a
separate
Sikh
homeland
within
India.
The
diplomatic
row
began
in
September
2023,
when
then-Prime
Minister
Justin
Trudeau
accused
Indian
agents
of
orchestrating
the
assassination
of
Hardeep
Singh
Nijjar,
a
Canadian
citizen
and
prominent
Sikh
separatist.
The
Indian
government
denied
the
allegations,
describing
them
as
“absurd.”
Last
week,
Canada’s
Foreign
Minister
Anita
Anand
and
India’s
External
Affairs
Minister
Subrahmanyam
Jaishankar
held
a
phone
conversation,
raising
hopes
of
improved
relations.
India’s
absence
from
the
G7
summit
comes
as
the
country
is
projected
to
overtake
Japan
and
become
the
world’s
fourth-largest
economy
by
March
next
year,
according
to
the
International
Monetary
Fund.
However,
India
remains
among
the
lower-ranked
nations
in
terms
of
per
capita
income.
The
exclusion
may
affect
Modi’s
carefully
cultivated
image
as
a
globally
significant
statesman
among
his
supporters.
Opposition
MPs
have
labelled
the
snub
“yet
another
diplomatic
bungle.”
In
contrast,
Canada
has
extended
invitations
to
several
other
non-G7
leaders,
including
Ukrainian
President
Volodymyr
Zelenskyy,
Australian
Prime
Minister
Anthony
Albanese,
and
Mexican
President
Claudia
Sheinbaum.
Canada
has
announced
that
the
summit
will
focus
on
global
economic
stability
and
growth,
international
peace,
and
the
digital
transition.
