The G-20, under the Indian Presidency, should convene virtually towards the end of November to take stock of the progress made on the proposals received during the just concluded September 9-10 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared here on Sunday. Mr. Modi handed over the ceremonial gavel to Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, initiating the process of transition of the President’s chair for the next round of the G-20 in Brazil.
“In these two days, all of you have put forth many things, given suggestions, that have come forward, to see how their progress can be accelerated. I propose that we hold another virtual session of the G-20 Summit at the end of November,” the Prime Minister said.
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He expressed the hope that the goals of the G-20 would be further advanced during the upcoming Presidency of Brazil. The virtual meeting will be timed with the end of the Indian Presidency, due in November.
The two-day summit witnessed a high point with the admission of the African Union as a new G-20 member. This was followed by a personal announcement by Mr. Modi on the ‘Joint Declaration’ of the summit that was adopted through consensus, overcoming sharp differences among members regarding the Ukraine crisis.
Soon after he declared the end of the summit, Mr. Modi held a series of meetings with visiting leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, President Lula Da Silva, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
“We talked about ways to further cement trade and infrastructure linkages between India and Turkiye,” Prime Minister Modi said after meeting President Erdogan.
Regarding the discussion in the last session of the summit, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the agenda included digitalisation and Artificial Intelligence. “It’s crucial that we join together at the international level to adopt rules on this, so that this technology can be used safely and inclusively in our societies. A working session that I took part in was devoted to ensuring that this process runs smoothly,” Prime Minister Rutte said.
The Indian Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron held a bilateral meeting over lunch on Sunday after which a Joint Statement was issued. The statement said India and France will collaborate in the Indo-Pacific and in Africa in areas such as “infrastructure, connectivity, energy, biodiversity, sustainability and industrial projects”.
Both President Erdogan and President Macron addressed press conferences in the media hall and assured assistance to quake-hit Morocco, with Mr. Macron reiterating the call for a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine in line with the UN Charter”. He also called for “deep reform of the global governance structures, including the United Nations, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund”.
Both Mr. Macron and Mr. Erdogan appreciated the launch of the India-Middle East-EU transport corridor that will include a network of roads, ports and maritime routes. Mr. Erdogan on his part added that the transport initiative will gain with the involvement of Iraq.
Following the meeting with President Azaly Assoumani of Comoros, who became the first Chairperson of the African Union (AU) to sit at a G-20 summit after the AU was formally inducted into the organisation on Saturday, Mr. Modi said that Comoros is important for India’s maritime vision — SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) — adding that they discussed, “ways to enhance cooperation in areas like shipping, trade and more”.
At the end, Mr. Modi greeted media personnel at the media hall located a little away from the main venue of the G-20 summit.
Earlier in the day, the leaders visited Rajghat and paid tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. “Mahatma Gandhi has inspired many non-violent political journeys, including mine,” President Lula Da Silva said in his remarks at the concluding session.
Concluding his engagements in Delhi, President Macron reached Dhaka on Sunday evening, becoming the first French President to visit Bangladesh in more than three decades.
