PM Modi holds several bilateral talks on sidelines of G20 Summit in South Africa – Firstpost

On his second day in South Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in Johannesburg. While the event is being boycotted by the United States, the Prime Minister launched 6 global initiatives in partnership with countries around the world.

On Saturday, PM Modi stressed that these exchanges reaffirmed our “shared commitment to global progress and prosperity”. The Prime Minister met British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during day-long talks at the summit hosted by South Africa.

It was wonderful meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Johannesburg. This year has brought new energy to the India-UK partnership and we will continue to take it forward in many areas.@10DowningStreet @Keir_Starmer pic.twitter.com/LzQk7QPnaS

-Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 22 November 2025

He also met other leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, before the main session began. “It was wonderful meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Johannesburg. This year has brought new energy to the India-UK partnership and we will continue to take it forward in many areas,” Modi said in a post on Twitter after meeting Starmer.

This was the Prime Minister’s second meeting this year with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. PM Modi said this reflects the “strong momentum in our special strategic partnership”, adding that the two sides discussed ways to deepen economic and investment ties.

After his meeting with Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Modi said India and Brazil “will continue to work together to promote trade and cultural ties for the benefit of our people.” He described his discussions with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as “very fruitful”. Modi later shared a family photo with fellow G20 leaders, posting, “Together, we reaffirm our shared commitment to global progress and prosperity.”

Trilateral Technical Alliance with Canada and Australia

A highlight of Saturday’s meeting was the Prime Minister’s announcement of a new trilateral technology and innovation alliance between India, Australia and Canada, when he met his counterparts Anthony Albanese and Mark Carney.

“We are pleased to announce today the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) partnership,” Modi said in a social media post after meeting Albanese and Canada’s Carney.

“This initiative will deepen cooperation between democratic partners across three continents and three oceans in emerging technologies, supporting the diversification of supply chains, clean energy and large-scale adoption of AI,” he said.

A new trilateral technology and innovation partnership!

Had an excellent meeting with Mr. Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, and Mr. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. We are pleased to announce the Australia-Canada-India technology and… pic.twitter.com/Qa5lSvlIb2

-Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 22 November 2025

Meanwhile, the Canadian government also released a statement after the meeting, saying the initiative would build on the “natural strengths of the three countries” and emphasize green energy innovation and building resilient supply chains, including critical minerals.

“This will deepen their respective ambitions and strategic cooperation towards net zero and advance the diversification of supply chains towards a secure, sustainable and resilient future. The partnership will also examine the development and large-scale adoption of artificial intelligence to improve the lives of our citizens.” The meeting between PM Modi and Carney also revealed the warmth in relations between India and Canada.