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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, French President Emmanuel Macron, and World Bank President Ajay Banga could be seen sharing a light moment on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Monday (Nov 19). In a video posted on Mr Macron's official X account, the French president is seen greeting PM Modi with a hug and exchanging pleasantries as Mr Banga chimes in with his oneliner, evoking laughter from two of the most powerful leaders of the planet.
In the clip, Mr Banga approaches the duo before turning to PM Modi and saying: "He [Macron] is going from one Indian to another", evoking laughter from the two leaders. "He's always there," PM Modi could be heard replying.
Meanwhile, President Macron captioned the post as saying: "It is always a pleasure to meet with Prime Minister @NarendraModi, as our partnership with India is both rich and multifaced. We reviewed the progress on the initiatives launched during my State visit last January, as well as key international issues."
It is always a pleasure to meet with Prime Minister @NarendraModi, as our partnership with India is both rich and multifaced.
We reviewed the progress on the initiatives launched during my State visit last January, as well as key international issues. pic.twitter.com/WSatqfqout
Who is Mr Banga?
Mr Banga is an Indian-born American business executive who has been serving as the chief of the World Bank since last year. Previously, he acted as the executive chairman of Mastercard from July 2010 to December 2020, holding president and CEO titles in between.
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Bilateral meeting
During the meeting, the two leaders discussed ways to increase cooperation in space, energy, and AI. PM Modi also took to social media and congratulated Mr Macron for the successful hosting of the Olympics and Paralympics earlier this year.
"It is always a matter of immense joy to meet my friend, President Emmanuel Macron. Complimented him on the successful hosting of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics earlier this year," PM Modi posted on X.
"We talked about how India and France will keep working closely in sectors like space, energy, AI, and other such futuristic areas. Our nations will also work closely to enhance people-to-people linkages."
It is always a matter of immense joy to meet my friend, President Emmanuel Macron. Complimented him on the successful hosting of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics earlier this year. We talked about how India and France will keep working closely in sectors like space, energy, AI… pic.twitter.com/6aNxRtG8yP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 18, 2024Apart from Mr Macron, PM Modi also bet Italian PM Giorgia Meloni and UK PM Keir Starmer on the sidelines in Rio.
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