G20 Summit 2023 LIVE Updates: The African Union formally took its seat as a new member of the G20 Saturday at the invitation of summit host and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director and Chairman Kristalina Georgieva and World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala were among the first to arrive.
Earlier on Friday, the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration of G20 is almost ready and will be presented before the grouping’s leaders to secure a consensus, India’s sherpa Amitabh Kant said.
Addressing a press conference ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit on 9-10 September, Kant said he would reveal more about the declaration, also referred to as a joint communique, after it has been accepted by the leaders. However, he said the declaration will include the voice of the global south and developing countries.
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina held a bilateral talk in New Delhi. The two countries also signed three memorandum of understanding (MoUs), including one on cooperation in Digital Payment mechanisms.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden arrived in the national capital Delhi on Friday to participate in the G20 Summit to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. US President Biden, along with Janet Yellen, went for a closed-door meeting with PM Modi on Friday, after the former arrived in India.
The African Union formally took its seat as a new member of the G20 Saturday at the invitation of summit host and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a consensus is reached on the New Delhi G20 declaration and all countries will adopt it at the G20 Summit. India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant lays out the focus areas of New Delhi G20 declaration:
1. Strong, Sustainable, Balanced, and Inclusive Growth
2. Accelerating Progress on #SDGs
3. Green Development Pact for a Sustainable Future
4. Multilateral Institutions for the 21st Century
5. Reinvigorating Multilateralism
The Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Saturday the G20’s joint declaration was “nothing to be proud of” and criticised it for not mentioning Russia.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko posted a screenshot of the relevant section of the joint declaration, with several pieces of the text crossed out in red and corrected with wording which reflects Ukraine’s position that it is a victim of unprovoked Russian aggression.
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Union Ministers met G20 leaders during a State Dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
The dinner was held at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the G20 summit. The leaders were welcomed by President Murmu and Prime Minister Modi before the start of the dinner.
The dinner menu featured traditional Indian dishes, including tandoori chicken, butter chicken, and biryani. The leaders also enjoyed a performance by a cultural troupe.
The State Dinner was an opportunity for the Union Ministers to meet the G20 leaders and discuss the key issues on the agenda of the summit. The ministers also exchanged views on ways to strengthen India’s relations with the G20 countries.
The G20 summit is being held in India for the first time. The summit is expected to focus on a range of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the war in Ukraine.
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Here are some of the key takeaways from the State Dinner:
* The dinner was a sign of India’s commitment to multilateralism and its willingness to play a leading role in global affairs.
* The meeting between the Union Ministers and the G20 leaders was an opportunity to discuss the key issues on the agenda of the summit and to strengthen India’s relations with the G20 countries.
* The dinner was also a chance for the leaders to enjoy traditional Indian cuisine and to experience Indian culture.
The G20 summit is expected to be a success for India. The summit will showcase India’s growing economic and technological prowess, and it will also give India a platform to promote its interests on the global stage.
