PM Modi holds bilateral meeting with UK counterpart Keir Starmer

Rio de Janeiro [Brazil], November 19 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (local time) held a bilateral meeting with his United Kingdom counterpart, Keir Starmer, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil.

PM Modi described the meeting as "extremely productive" and expressed eagerness to collaborate in areas such as technology, green energy, security, and innovation.

"Had an extremely productive meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Rio de Janeiro. For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK is of immense priority. In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as technology, green energy, security, innovation, and technology. We also want to add strength to trade as well as cultural linkages," PM Modi wrote on social media platform X.

PM Modi had a packed schedule on the first day of the G20 Summit, holding bilateral meetings with leaders from the UK, France, Italy, Norway, Portugal, and Indonesia.

He also addressed the G20 session on 'Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty,' where he highlighted India's success in lifting 250 million people out of poverty over the past decade. He further affirmed India's support for Brazil's initiative to form a global alliance against hunger and poverty.

Speaking about India's progress in tackling food security, PM Modi emphasised that its approach, based on 'Back to Basics and March to Future,' was yielding significant results.

He elaborated on various measures India has implemented to promote women-led development. The Prime Minister noted that over 800 million people are being provided free food grains and more than 550 million are benefitting from the world's largest health insurance scheme.

"With respect to the theme of the first session, I would like to share with you India's experiences and success stories. Over the last 10 years, we have lifted 250 million people out of poverty. Over 800 million people are being given food grains free of cost. 550 million people are benefitting from the world's biggest health insurance scheme. Now, 60 million senior citizens over the age of 70 will also be able to benefit from free health insurance," he said.

PM Modi welcomed Brazil's initiative to establish a Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, underscoring that the Global South has been severely affected by food, fuel, and fertiliser crises resulting from ongoing conflicts. He stressed the need to prioritise their concerns.

"We support Brazil's initiative for a 'Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.' This is an important step towards implementing the Deccan High-Level Principles for Food Security, adopted at the New Delhi Summit," he stated. (ANI)