G20 Summit

They Were Successful In Showcasing India Before World: Pak Locals Praising G20 Summit

Locals in Pakistan reserved high praise for India for successfully hosting the 18th G20 Leaders’ Summit.

The big-ticket event, which drew heads of state of over 30 countries and delegates of leading international organisations, was hosted over two days — September 9 and 10 — at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan.

The two-day mega huddle saw the G20 members states adopt the New Delhi Declaration by consensus. The declaration even had a reference to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, with the members, while not outrightly condemning Russia, called on all coutries to refrain from using force to grab territory.

Among other key takeaways from the summit were announcement of an India-Middle East-Europe trade corridor and the formal induction of the African Union (AU) as a full member of the G20.

Speaking to ANI, a Karachi local was effusive in his praise for India over its conduct of the G20, saying, “When heads of the top 20 countries visit a country, it is an honour for that nation. Indian economy will derive many benefits out of it (G20).”

India took over the G20 presidency on December 1 last year at the summit in Bali and will continue to hold the mantle till the end of November.

However, on the concluding day of the summit, PM Modi handed over the gavel of the G20 Presidency to Brazilian President Lula da Silva.

Another Pakistani local lamented the global isolation of Pakistan, saying, “The fact that India hosted the heads of the major economies also, in a way, casts a negative light on our foreign policy. Our economy and security situation have deteriorated significantly over the last 5-6 years. The world has sidelined us.”

The New Delhi Declaration was adopted on the inaugural day of the summit.

Another local from Lahore questioned the host country, India, over inviting Bangladesh to the summit and not Pakistan.

Prime Minister Modi had formally invited his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina to attend the G20 summit.

“At a time when we are desperately trying to lift our economy from the dumps, India played host to leaders of the 20 major economies of the world. The succesfully conduct of the global event would have filled the Indians with pride. We all saw pictures from India, of (PM) Modi posing with world leaders. They were successful in showcasing India in a positive light before a global audience. The ‘Shezada’ of Saudi Arabia (Crown Prince Salman) didn’t come here (to Pakistan) but went to India for the G20 Summit. This shows the growing importance of India for the world. It was also surprising that Bangladesh was invited but Pakistan wasn’t.”

Earlier, Pakistani media outlet Geo News had reported, citing sources, that the Saudi crown prince was to visit Pakistan in the second week of September.

According to the report, during visit visit, Crown Prince Salman was expected to meet the country’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir. (ANI)

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india G20 presidency

It Was Momentous: G20 Summit Chief Coordinator

The Chief co-ordinator of India’s G20 presidency Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that the adaptation of the Delhi declaration was momentous and has addressed the requirements and concerns of the global south.

He said, “We have ensured that the PM’s vision of an outcome-oriented presidency would be held and it has been seen in every aspect of the way we have conducted the Summit. We have achieved the objectives of the Global South. We have addressed the requirements and the concerns of the Global South”.

“It was momentous because, in a normal multilateral process, you have to go to the end of any Summit to attain a consensus on an outcome document. The fact that we have come up with the consensus document with the support of our G20 partners on the first day of our presidency is a tremendously positive news,” he added.

Shringla also welcomed the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 grouping and said, “We are very happy that PM Modi announced the advent of the African Union as the permanent member of the G20 under our presidency.”

On September 9, the Delhi Declaration was adopted. It called on nations to uphold international law, including territorial integrity, international humanitarian law and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability.

The declaration envisages a green development pact for a sustainable future, it endorses high-level principles on lifestyle for sustainable development, voluntary principles of hydrogen, the Chennai principles for a sustainable resilient blue economy and the Deccan principles on food security and nutrition among others

The biggest takeaway of the declaration was that all 83 paragraphs of the declaration were passed unanimously with a 100 per cent consensus along with China and Russia in agreement. For the first time, the declaration contained no footnote or Chair’s Summary.

The G20 meeting on Saturday also saw the African Union being inducted as the new permanent member of G20 thereby offering developing nations a greater say in global decision-making

PM Narendra Modi on Saturday also launched the Global Biofuels Alliance in the presence of US President Joe Biden, President of Brazil Luiz Inacio, President of Argentina, Alberto Fernández and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni. The Global Biofuel Alliance is one of the priorities under India’s G20 Presidency.

Another major takeaway from Day 1 of the summit, was the announcement launch of a mega India-Middle East-Europe shipping and railway connectivity corridor by India, the US, Saudi Arabia and the European Union. (ANI)

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Regional Rapid Transit System

‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ Can Be Mantra To Address Global Trust Deficit: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the G20 Summit emphasised the importance of the 21st century in finding new solutions to old challenges and called for a human-centric approach to address global challenges. 

In his opening remarks at the G20 Summit, being held at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, PM Modi pointed out that to address global challenges and overcome trust deficits caused by conflicts there is a need to adopt a human-centric approach.

“The 21st century is an important time to show the world a new direction. This is the time when old problems are seeking new solutions from us and that is why we should move ahead fulfilling our responsibilities with a human-centric approach,” he said.

PM Modi asserted that the war in Ukraine has resulted in a trust deficit at the global level and called on all the G20 summit leaders to work together.

“Today, as the president of G 20, India calls upon the world together to transform the global trust deficit into one of trust and reliance. This is the time for all of us to move together. In this time, the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ can be the torchbearer for us,” PM Modi said.

He added, “Be it the divide between North and South, the distance between East and West, management of food and fuel, terrorism, cyber security, health, energy or water security, we will have to find a solid solution to this for future generations.”

In a significant development, PM Modi said that African Union has been made a permanent member of the Group of 20 and invited the AU, represented by Chairperson Azali Assoumani, to take a seat at the table of G20 leaders as a permanent member.

At the start of his address, PM Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in Morocco, which was hit by an earthquake early this morning. 

He said, “Before we start the proceedings of G20, I want to express my condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time.”

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

The 18th G20 Summit is a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

The summit is being attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations. (ANI)

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UAE Prez Nahyan Delhi G20 Summit

UAE Prez Nahyan Arrives In Delhi To Attend G20 Summit

The President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Friday arrived at Delhi’s Palam airbase to attend the G20 summit.

The two-day summit, being hosted in the national capital under India’s presidency of the 20-member bloc, will get underway at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam from Saturday.

President Al Nahyan was received by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai.

Meanwhile, ahead of the G20 summit, which will bring together some of the most powerful leaders of the free world as well as delegates representing international organisations, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “The coming together of the 41 Heads of delegations, Heads of State/Govt, Heads of international organisations in India, starting yesterday is under PM’s personal leadership and direction. It is essentially a celebration of the coming together of the G 20 family…This is the largest-ever participation of the Global South in India.”

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1, last year, with about 200 related meetings organised across 60 Indian cities.

The 18th G20 Summit will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

One of the takeaways of India’s G20 presidency is the revolutionisation of Digital Payment Infrastructure, as initially very few people knew about it, but it has taken forward extensively, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Friday.

After concluding his recent official visit to the UAE, PM Modi shared a video clip of his trip to the Gulf nation saying both countries will continue to work closely for the global good.

Sharing the video on Twitter, which showed him attending important events in the UAE, PM Modi posted, “India and UAE will keep working closely to further global good!”

During the visit, PM Modi and UAE President Al Nahyan affirmed that India’s G20 presidency will play an important role in accelerating cooperation in combating climate change, said the India-UAE joint statement on Climate Change.   

PM Modi and the UAE President recognized the urgent need to address the global challenge of climate change through global collective action while respecting the foundational principles and obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on the Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, read a joint press release.

PM Modi also congratulated UAE on being chosen as the host country for COP28 in 2023 while pledging the country’s full support to the Gulf nation as it assumes the COP28 Presidency. President Al Nahyan, in turn, congratulated India on its leadership role in the G20.

Both leaders affirmed the importance and significance of India’s G20 presidency while stressing the grouping’s role in fostering and accelerating cooperation in combating climate change, with emphasis on finance and technology as critical enablers, as well as on just, inclusive and sustainable energy transitions, the joint statement said. 

The leaders committed to enhancing cooperation on climate ambition, decarbonization, and clean energy, and work together to have tangible and meaningful outcomes from the 28th Session of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties. (ANI)

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One Earth One Family One Future

‘One Earth One Family One Future’ A Perfect Theme For G20: Mauritius PM

Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth hailed India’s G20 Presidency and said that there couldn’t have been a better them for the summit than ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’, which translates to ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.

He also thanked India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inviting Mauritius as a Guest Country at the G20 Summit and affirmed contributing at the summit.

In an exclusive interview to ANI, Jugnauth said, “I must thank the government of India, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for having invited Mauritius as a Guest Country to attend this G20 Summit. Mauritius is very honoured and privileged to be participating. We have contributed throughout the year and we are going to contribute to this Summit. This is being held at a very critical juncture because we have been facing the COVID-19 pandemic. We were at a situation when the whole world was at its knees. On top of that, it is being compounded now with this conflict in Ukraine. We also see the effects of climate change”.

“So, it is important for a summit like this one all the countries to sit down and see how we can bounce back. I think there is a need for us to be resilient, there is a need to review our policies in view of the lessons that we can draw from those events,” he added.

He further said that amid the ongoing conflicts in Africa and Ukraine, and issues like climate change, the issues being put up by India under its presidency are very pertinent.

“I think there could not have been a better theme that has been chosen by India – One Earth, One Family and One Future – which is drawn from the Sanskrit phase of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. I think this is pertinent more so when we look at the effect of climate change because what one country does, not only affects that country but also the whole world. That is why, we have to reflect collectively and we have to act collectively,” the Prime Minister said.

He added, “Each one of us has a duty to save the planet and save the whole population. I am happy to see that India has taken this very inclusive approach and to try to get everybody on board. There have been a number of meetings before the summit, and there have been a lot of proposals and ideas that have been edited. I am very confident that we are going to make progress”.

Earlier in the day, Mauritius PM Jugnauth arrived at the New Delhi Airport on Thursday for the G20 Summit, which will be held here in the national capital from September 9-10. He was received at the Airport by Shripad Naik Union Minister of State for Ports, and Shipping. (ANI)

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Joe Biden In Delhi

Biden To Arrive In Delhi Tomorrow

US President Joe Biden will arrive in New Delhi on Friday and is scheduled to hold a bilateral with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House informed.

Beginning Friday, Biden has a packed schedule for three days. After he departs from the US, he will arrive in Ramstein,Germany on Friday for a brief stop over and will arrive in New Delhi the same day.

The US President is scheduled to participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, according to a White House press release.

On Saturday, Biden will participate in an official arrival and handshake with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US President will then participate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit Session 1: “One Earth”.

Later in the day, he is slated to take part in the G20 Leaders’ Summit Session 2: “One Family” of the G20. Biden will also participate in a Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment event. His day will wrap with a dinner and cultural program with G20 Leaders.

On Sunday, the US President will visit Raj Ghat Memorial along with other G20 Leaders.

Biden is then scheduled to travel from New Delhi to Hanoi, Vietnam.

There, he will participate in a welcome ceremony hosted by General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Biden will participate in a meeting with General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The US President and General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam will deliver remarks, following which Biden will hold a press conference, the White House said.

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are expected to hold a discussion on the agenda of G20, particularly the economic cooperation and multilateral investment opportunities, that stand before it and can be on the American leader’s strong desire to see multilateral development bank reform and reshaping, a White House official said.

John Kirby, National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communications, also pointed out that there is very little possibility that PM Modi and President Biden will discuss on climate and the ongoing Ukraine war.

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings. (ANI)

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G20 Summit India

G20 Summit: India To Provide UPI Experience To Delegates

Taking India’s G20 Presidency as an opportunity to showcase the country’s digital public goods to the world and its ‘Digital India’ initiative, the central government has decided to provide hands-on experiences to around 1,000 visiting foreign delegates with UPI wallets technology, besides explaining them about ease of making payments through the indigenous solution.

“Foreign delegates or participants will be given Rs 500-1,000 in their UPI wallets for doing UPI transactions,” a government official told ANI, adding it has earmarked around Rs 10 lakhs for it.

Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is India’s mobile-based fast payment system, which facilitates customers to make round-the-clock payments instantly, using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) created by the customer.

UPI payment system has become hugely popular for retail digital payments in India, and its adoption is increasing at a rapid pace.

India has emerged as one of the fastest-growing ecosystems for fintech innovation and the government and the central bank have been instrumental in driving the globalisation of India’s digital payment infrastructure. A key emphasis of the Indian government has been on ensuring that the benefits of UPI are not limited to India only, but other countries, too, benefit from it.

So far, Sri Lanka, France, UAE, and Singapore have partnered with India on emerging fintech and payment solutions.

Also, RBI had earlier this year extended Unified Payments Interface-based payments for in-bound travellers from G20 nations to make local payments while they are in India. This facility was made available in April.

India is all set to host the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10.

World leaders will arrive in New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit. The summit will be hosted at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Notably, India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

The government today also launched the ‘G20 India’ mobile app for seamless and smooth functioning with Indian and foreign delegates. The G20 India mobile app having all member countries’ language options will help delegates access UPI and navigation facilities during the summit. (ANI)

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Li Qiang Will Attend G20

Not Xi, Li Qiang Will Attend G20 In India, Confirms Beijing

Setting at rest all speculations around Chinese President Xi Jinping’s participation at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China has announced that Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10. 

Quoting foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, the statement read, “At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India, on September 9 and 10.”

However, no reason was given in the statement about Xi’s absence from the summit.

Earlier, Reuters had reported that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to skip the G20 Summit to be held in India.

Sources in China, two of whom said they were informed by Chinese officials, added they were not aware of the reason for Xi’s expected absence, according to Reuters.

The Chinese President has made few overseas trips since China abruptly dropped its Covid restrictions. He, however, attended the BRICS Summit in South Africa last week.

Several G20 ministerial meetings in India ahead of the summit have been contentious as Russia and China together opposed joint statements which included paragraphs condemning Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine last year, according to Reuters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit during which he highlighted India’s concerns over the unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in Ladakh.

The two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials “to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation”.

Along with Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin will also not attend the summit in India.

According to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov is expected to attend two plenary sessions on September 9 and 10. Lavrov is scheduled to hold several bilateral talks and contacts on the sidelines of the summit. (ANI)

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