With beefed up security, and an aim for more “inclusivity,” India is all set to welcome world leaders at the G20 Summit set to be held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 this year.
This will be the 18th G20 summit, and the first one hosted under India’s presidency.
It aims to bring together G20 member countries along with guest nations to participate in discussions about diverse economic reforms.
World Leaders Attending G20 Summit in Delhi
US President Joe Biden will attend the G20 summit, and this will be his first visit to India after becoming the president.
Biden will urge reforms to the IMF and World Bank that will better serve developing country needs at the G20 summit, the White House has said in a release.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will attend the summit was “eagerly looking forward” to attend the G20 Summit, news agency PTI said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also confirmed his presence at the G20 summit.
“I will be at the G20 in a week… and we will continue to make sure that the world is standing with Ukraine…” Trudeau had said,
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the G20 Summit, and will also try to hold a bilateral meeting with PM Modi, PTI said.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to attend the G20 summit, and will visit the country as part of his 3-nation tour.
“From September 9-10, the Prime Minister will attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi,” the Australian government said in a statement.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to attend the upcoming summt, South Korea’s Ambassador to India Chang Jae Bok told news agency ANI.
“We strongly support India’s G20 presidency this year and we hope that the summit meeting in September will be the highlight and culimination of the G20 presidency efforts by the Indian Government,” the envoy said.
World Leaders Not Attending G20 Summit in Delhi
Russian President Vladimir Putin informed PM Modi that he won’t be able to attend the summit. Instead of Putin, Moscow’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Moscow in his place.
In the call, PM Modi also thanked Putin for Russia’s consistent support to all initiatives under India’s G20 Presidency, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a release.
G2O Summit in New Delhi
The summit will take place at the revamped India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) complex, erstwhile Pragati Maidan. It has been built at a cost of Rs 2,700 crores and constructed within an area of 123 acres.
The theme of India’s G20 Presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future.” The concept is taken from the ancient Sanskrit text, Maha Upanishad and entails the intrinsic value of all forms of life – humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms.
The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies.
G20 Countries
The group of G20 countries comprises 19 nations including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union.
The members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade and about two-thirds of the world population.
According to the G20 website, the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.
PM Modi and G20
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the Business 20 (B20) Summit India 2023, the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community, in Delhi on Sunday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India’s presidency has been a “people’s presidency” and it has made the grouping a more inclusive forum.
“We have a vision of inclusiveness and with that vision, we have invited the African Union to become permanent members of the G20,” Modi said
World leaders’ stays in New Delhi
A total of 35 hotels in New Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) have been booked by different missions and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for guests and dignitaries who will arrive for the G20 summit on September 9 and 10, according to local sources.
The hotels are in New Delhi, South Delhi and Aerocity. The war between Russia and Ukraine is set to be a topic of discussion at the G20 meet, News18 had earlier reported, citing a US State Department official. Leaders of the G20, including US President Joe Biden, are scheduled to convene in New Delhi.
