India not invited to G7 Summit in Canada, likely to skip event: Sources

India has not received an invitation for the upcoming G7 Summit, scheduled to be held from June 15 to June 17 in Canada, according to official sources. There have been no advance visits or indications of a high-level dignitary visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As a result, it appears that India will not participate in the G7 summit in Canada.

In the past, PM Modi has attended the summit successively for six years, making this the first time India will be absent from the event. Traditionally, the host country has discretion over guest invitations, agenda setting, and the tone of the summit, allowing them to tailor the event to their priorities and foreign policy objectives.

The G7 is an informal grouping of the world’s most industrialised economies, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada. The European Union, IMF, World Bank, and UN are also invited.

The G7 Summit’s timing is notable, given the strained relationship between India and Canada following the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June 2023. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s accusations of Indian involvement were vehemently denied by India, which termed them “baseless”.

The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, had stated on multiple occasions last month that there was “no information” on PM Modi’s visit to Canada for the summit.