New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) India on Thursday said that it is looking forward to a successful and productive G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa’s Johannesburg later this week which will also see participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The summit will be important for India to ensure continuity of its priorities in the G20 after having hosted a very successful presidency in 2023. As you are aware, the G20 has emerged as a premier forum for international economic cooperation as well as for discussing matters of global significance. The G20 provides an excellent opportunity for the leaders of major and emerging economies – representing over 85 per cent of global GDP and around three-quarters of the world’s population — to come together and discuss important issues impacting the world,” Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary, Economic Relations at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) told reporters ahead of Prime Minister’s South Africa visit.
PM Modi will be visiting Johannesburg from November 21-23 to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. This will be the fourth consecutive G20 Summit held in the Global South –
the first to take place on African soil – and Prime Minister’s fourth official visit to South Africa following his bilateral visit in 2016 and later for the two BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
According to the MEA, Prime Minister Modi will put forth India’s perspectives on the G20 agenda and is expected to speak in all the three sessions of the Summit. These sessions have been titled Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden; A Resilient World – the G20’s Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems; and, A Fair and a Just Future for All: Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence.
“South Africa has identified four key priority areas for its G20 presidency this year: Strengthening disaster resilience and response; ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries; mobilising finance for a just energy transition; and fourthly, harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development,” Secretary Dalela told reporters.
The Summit, he said, will be important for India for the continuity of its priorities after having hosted a successful presidency in 2023.
“The Indian G20 presidency, as some of you would recall, had established a Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group, signifying the importance India attached to this matter. The South African presidency has carried forward the important work related to disaster risk reduction and resilience as one of the key priorities of its own presidency. Similarly, through the Task Force on Food Security, the South African presidency has continued the dialogue on this important challenge as well,” the seasoned diplomat mentioned.
On the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, Prime Minister Modi is also expected to hold several key bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present in Johannesburg. PM Modi will also be participating in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders’ Meeting being hosted by South Africa.
“The Johannesburg Summit will also conclude the successful holding of the G20 Presidency by four emerging markets and developing economies of the G20 – Indonesia, India, Brazil, and now South Africa. This has enabled all of us collectively to bring a sharper focus on matters impacting the Global South,” he said.
–IANS
/as