Indian Foreign Secy Harsh Vardhan Shringla details Modi's visit to Italy

India'sForeign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla conducted a press briefing in Rome, Italy and said "It has been a full day if engagement and the day hasn't ended".

PM Modi and his counterpart from Singapore,Lee Hsien, had a fruitful discussion, Shringla said. "They discussed efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic through expedited vaccination efforts and ensuring supply of critical medicines. In that context, Prime Minister Modi thanked the Prime Minister of Singapore for his assistance and that of the government and people of Singapore during our second wave of the crisis," Shringla told the media.

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Shringla reported that PM Modi met Pope Francis at the Vatican and discussed several issues such as climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. The discussion was scheduled to last for 20 minutes but carried on for nearly an hour. He also reported that the Pope has graciously accepted the PM's invite and he is looking forward to visiting India soon.

After meeting Pope, PM Modi proceeded to meet international leaders at the G20 Summit, where he spoke about India's vision of 'one earth one health', which was 'well received by G20 leaders'. He "stressed for the need of global supply chains" and "invited G20 leaders to become India's partner in global economic recovery".

Shringla also talked about thehistoric corporate tax reform deal that the G20 leaders have agreed upon, and will come into force in 2023. "In 2014 at the G20 summit when PM had first proposed the idea of minimum corporate tax, today it is a satisfaction that the G20 had accepted it," he said.

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PM Modi also talked about how India has been helping neighbouring countries with Covid vaccines. "PM conveyed that India has not only vaccinated it's citizens but also is willing to produce billions of vaccines to reduce vaccine inequities in the developing world," Shringla said. "We also believe that WHO'S covaxin's aproval will also enable in reducing vaccine inequity."

Shringla also told the media that PM Modi he met all of the leaders and held two formal meetings, one of which was with French leader Emmanuel Macron. This wasfirst in-person meeting between the two leaders since the AUKUS trilateral security pact was announced.