Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 18 (ANI): French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the 52nd G7 Summit, which will be presided over by France in 2026.

In a press statement in Mumbai, Macron called for an ad hoc meeting between India and France to reach an agreement on the international agenda ahead of the G7 Summit in Evian.

Noting the 'acceleration for partnership,' as India will chair the BRICS Summit while France chairs the G7 group, he called for a 'moment of innovation' for the youth of both countries.

The French President said, 'This year, 2026, is a year of acceleration for our partnership, of translating much of this agenda into action. It is also the year in which the Prime Minister, you, will chair the BRICS group, and France will chair the G7 group. In this spirit, I have invited Prime Minister Modi as a very special guest to the G7 Summit in Evian. It is also in this spirit that we are keen to build consensus a few weeks before this G7 Summit through an ad hoc meeting that will enable us to try to establish concrete areas of agreement on the international agenda and the resolution of major imbalances before the Evian Summit.'

'It is also to this end that we have together decided to have, as part of a bilateral segment that the Prime Minister will hold, a moment for innovation, our youth, bringing together Indian youth from the best universities and research centres, our youth in France, Europe, and the G7, so that we can continue to mobilise in the service of innovation and the resolution of the major problems we face,' he added.

Further, Emmanuel Macron called for an effective partnership between New Delhi and Paris over research, student exchanges, and trade.

He said, 'That, ladies and gentlemen, is what I wanted to add to what Prime Minister Modi said: trust, ambition, and doubling our joint efforts. Fundamentally, the partnership between India and France is a stable, predictable partnership that serves both our peoples and has yielded many results in recent years, but which we want to make even more effective, particularly in terms of research, student exchanges, and trade. But it is also a partnership which, when it offers concrete solutions to the rest of the world, whether in solar energy, major connectivity infrastructure, or artificial intelligence, has been able to achieve extremely tangible results.'

'It is in this spirit that we want to continue to move forward with Prime Minister Modi, and it is also in this spirit that, beyond bilateral partnerships, we will move forward in the framework of our respective presidencies to not only bring together the G7 and the BRICS countries, but also to bring together our common views on the major issues I have just mentioned,' the French president said.

The G7 Summit is an annual gathering of leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Canada, and the European Union (EU). Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the summit on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's invitation.

Meanwhile, BRICS is an international group of eleven countries comprising India, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE.

According to the joint statement by India and France, Prime Minister Modi has welcomed the invitation, noting India's longstanding partnership with the G7 and its commitment to contributing constructively to global discussions on addressing global economic imbalances, development financing, international partnership, economic security, resilient supply chains, climate action, and international security.

Both leaders expressed confidence that India's participation would further strengthen collective efforts to address global challenges and promote a more balanced, inclusive, and resilient international order. Both leaders stressed the importance of collective efforts in order to address global challenges together, especially macroeconomic issues.

President Macron recalled the invitation extended jointly with Kenya's President William Ruto to PM Modi to participate in the 'Africa Forward: Partnerships between Africa and France for Innovation and Growth' Summit, to be held on May 11 and 12 in Nairobi. Considering India's longstanding and friendly engagement with both France and African countries, Prime Minister Modi thanked for the invitation and reaffirmed support in areas of mutual interest, in particular energy transition, artificial intelligence, health, agriculture, and the blue economy. (ANI)