G7 Summit: Why Is Italian PM Georgia Meloni Viral Again In India? Details Inside!

A video featuring Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni performing a 'namaste' greeting to world leaders at this year's Group of Seven (G7) summit has gone viral.

The video, which shows Meloni greeting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with a traditional Indian gesture, quickly spread across social media platforms.

Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's 'Namaste' Gesture at G7 Summit Takes Social Media by Storm

The gesture, which has led to 'Namaste' trending alongside #Meloni, has been widely praised online. Many social media users celebrated Meloni's adoption of the Indian greeting, with comments like, "Namaste goes Global. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni greets guests of the G7 summit with Namaste."

PM Modi to Attend G7 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for Italy on Thursday to attend the 50th G7 Summit, marking his first international trip since beginning his third term in office. Accompanied by a high-level delegation, PM Modi will participate in an outreach session on June 14.

This session will focus on key issues such as artificial intelligence, energy, Africa, and the Mediterranean. According to Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, the session aims to facilitate a comprehensive exchange of views and perspectives between the G7 countries and the Outreach Countries.

Modi - Meloni: A 'Melodi' Relation Between Two Countries

In their frequent interactions, the two leaders, Modi and Meloni, are often referred to as 'good friends' by each other. It was Meloni who became the first European leader to congratulate Modi on securing a third consecutive term, expressing her commitment to furthering the ties between Italy and India through collaborative efforts with the Indian government, as reported by First Post.

Prior to Modi's visit to Italy, the two had last encountered each other in Dubai during the COP28 meeting in December last year. At that time, a selfie of the two leaders was posted by Meloni, captioned "Good friends at COP28. #Melodi," which quickly went viral, sparking widespread enthusiasm among netizens over the hashtag coined from their surnames. The image, since going viral, was also reacted to by PM Modi, who wrote, "Meeting friends is always a delight."

Their camaraderie at the G20 Summit in New Delhi last September also created quite a buzz, with their interactions prompting a flood of memes on Indian social media platforms. Their friendship appears to have solidified significantly in March last year when Meloni travelled to India as the chief guest and keynote speaker at the inaugural session of the eighth Raisina Dialogue, marking her first visit to India and the first visit by an Italian prime minister in five years, as per AP reports.

Furthermore, it was during Meloni's tenure in 2022 that the bilateral relationship was elevated to the level of Strategic Partnership following her visit to India, indicating a renewal of efforts to repair relations that had suffered a downturn in 2012 and 2014 over issues such as the prosecution of Italian marines and a cancelled defence contract.

Their alignment on matters such as the India-Middle East Europe economic corridor at the G20 meeting in New Delhi underscored their shared perspectives, as per media reports. Additionally, Italy's withdrawal from China's Belt and Road Initiative during this period added a strategic dimension to their ties.

During 2021-2022, India witnessed bilateral trade amounting to $13.229 billion, with Rome being India's fourth largest trading partner within the EU. Over 600 major Italian companies are currently active in India across diverse sectors, encompassing well-known brands like Fiat, Piaggio, Ferrero Roche, KinderJoy, and Tic Tac, which are household names in India.

Meloni has also communicated to Modi her government's aspiration to revive defence ties with India, with Modi acknowledging the ample opportunities available in defence manufacturing and co-production.