G20 Summit 2023 Highlights: Hope war has ended when Brazil’s G20 presidency begins, says President Lula

On India's G20 presidency and New Delhi Declaration, UAE's Ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Alshaali said, "Very well done, India's G20 team and the Indian Government on a very well organised not only G20 Summit but the entire process...We are very proud to be a part of this process. We are very proud to be a strategic partner and friend of India."

#WATCH | Delhi | On India's G20 presidency and New Delhi Declaration, UAE's Ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Alshaali says, "Very well done, India's G20 team and the Indian Government on a very well organised not only G20 Summit but the entire process...We are very proud to be a… pic.twitter.com/EgdPRGLDoU

— ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2023

On the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, Secretary (CPV & OIA) Ausaf Sayeed said, "The two sides recognised this as one of the major outcomes of the G20. It is one of the biggest such plurilateral agreements connecting several countries...It is actually connecting our like-minded partner countries in different geographic zones which is extremely important...It is something which we are all looking forward to. It would need close coordination and work with all the partner countries in that." (ANI)

Secretary (CPV & OIA) Ausaf Sayeed briefed the media on State visit of Crown Prince and PM of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and said: "The Crown Prince congratulated India for a very successful G20 meeting with a lot of major outcomes in the meeting...The two sides expressed their happiness at the launching of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor...PM also congratulated the Kingdom on becoming a full member of the BRICS... "

#WATCH | Secretary (CPV & OIA) Ausaf Sayeed briefs the media on State visit of Crown Prince & PM of Saudi Arabia, Prince Mohammed bin Salman

"The Crown Prince congratulated India for a very successful G20 meeting with a lot of major outcomes in the meeting...The two sides… pic.twitter.com/vmF08YLQbP

— ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2023

As the curtains fell on the G20 Summit Sunday, the consensus arrived in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration set the stage for the diplomatic and political conversation on the Russia-Ukraine conflict with a hope — across the spectrum — that the text is expected to set the tone for any negotiations between the two warring sides: the West-led G7 grouping that is backing Ukraine, and Russia, which has Beijing’s support in the form of a no-limits friendship.

The consensus text “enables us to look ahead to what should be the solution for a just and lasting peace at the end of the war in Ukraine,” a G7 official said.

The Indian Express spoke to officials from several member states to find that behind the hectic negotiations that went into the joint communique, lay hard work to build common ground and articulate a formulation acceptable to all. Read here.

Delhi minister Atishi congratulated the departments that worked for the beautification of Delhi during the Summit, and said: "I want to congratulate all the agencies working for the G20 Summit. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has decided that we will work for the beautification of Delhi, the way it was done during the G20 Summit. We have started the work, I have reviewed the situation with the PWD department. The work for the beautification of Delhi will start again tomorrow...A maintenance agency will be deployed to ensure that the beautification work done during the G20 Summit especially the fountains and sculptures are not damaged."

#WATCH | G 20 in India | Delhi minister Atishi says "I want to congratulate all the agencies working for the G20 Summit. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has decided that we will work for the beautification of Delhi, the way it was done during the G20 Summit. We have started the work, I… pic.twitter.com/jPEy8JGsWf

— ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2023

President Droupadi Murmu hosted a dinner for world leaders Saturday evening on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

President Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed various heads of state including US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanual Macron, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa among others at the dinner hosted at Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the Summit.

The Chief Ministers of different states of India were also present for the dinner.

(Source: Special arrangement)

A commitment to work towards tripling of global renewable energy capacity by 2030 is the most significant climate-related outcome from the G20 meeting. It is the only new and clear deliverable on climate action that the G20 countries have tasked themselves with, and its potential impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions is immense.

According to an assessment by the International Energy Agency earlier this year, this single measure could result in an avoidance of 7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. 

Tripling of capacities with seven years is an ambitious task, nonetheless. Read the analysis by Amitabh Sinha here.

The first G20 Summit hosted by India was not only a milestone moment for the Indian government but also for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, helping project both as world leaders capable of setting the agenda for global discourse.

From a foreign policy standpoint, the adoption of a consensus resolution despite the differences over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the addition of the African Union to the grouping are the success stories.

Here's a look at the key foreign policy moments under some of India’s previous Prime Ministers.

For the foreign eyes, to see the capital is one thing, to be shown around is quite another. The curated display of a capital for international visitors is all the more complex when it comes to a city like Delhi, which has, for centuries, been the centre of state power to multiple dynasties and empires. 

Their memories and remnants often overlap, and are spread all over the city, sometimes in the most unsuspecting of spaces. Which among them one chooses to show and what is ignored or left out for a different time becomes a matter of deciding what in the capital most reflects the idea of the India one is proud of.

One wonders, though, what in Delhi would be missed out or even hidden from the international heads of state. Adrija Roychowdhury writes.

Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held extensive bilateral talks with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs took to X (formerly Twitter), to share that the talks were aimed at transforming the ties between the two nations.

Arindam Bagchi wrote on X, "PM Narendra Modi and Crown Prince & PM of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman held bilateral talks. The two leaders reviewed the various facets of bilateral ties and discussed ways to further unlock the potential of the India-Saudi strategic partnership."

Transforming ??-?? ties!

PM @narendramodi and Crown Prince & PM of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman held bilateral talks.

The two leaders reviewed the various facets of bilateral ties and discussed ways to further unlock the potential of the ??-??… pic.twitter.com/uQ2FSzu4yG

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 11, 2023

On December 1, 2022, India assumed the presidency of the G20 with the call of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. This motto aligns with our civilisational ethos and the idea of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family).

India’s presidency of the G20 has adopted a different take on its global partnership and cooperation model. With India at its helm, it is no longer the Global North setting the narrative for the world at large, but the Global South reaffirming its ambitions on issues that determine the world’s fate: Economy, energy, climate and culture.

It is no longer a defunct top-down diplomacy but a bottom-up citizen-centric model of jan-bhagidari, touted as a new diplomatic tool during India’s presidency. It is one of the key focuses of India’s presidency and a major success. Aditi Narayani Paswan writes.

After having participated in the G20 Leaders’ summit in New Delhi, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on Monday held extensive talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and discussed shoring up bilateral trade and defence ties. Both the leaders are also expected to co-chair the first meeting of the India-Saudi Arabia Strategic Partnership Council (SPC).

Prince Mohammed bin Salman who arrived in Delhi on Saturday for a three-day visit, combining the G20 Summit attendance with a state visit, was accorded a ceremonial reception at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, early today.

“Well done India, a lot of announcements made that will benefit both our countries, the G20 countries and the whole world. So I want to say to India well done, and we will work to create a future for both countries” he told reporters after the ceremonial welcome.

Read the full story here.

Beyond holding high-level bilateral meetings with world leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday visited the Crafts Bazaar at Bharat Mandapam and International Media Centre at the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

(PTI Photos)

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Governments of India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, the UAE, France, Germany and Italy to establish the India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

The IMEC is being envisioned as a network of transport corridors, including railway lines and sea lanes, that is expected to aid economic growth through integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.

While its details are yet to come out, the project is a part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII) — a West-led initiative for funding infrastructure projects across the world, seen as a counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Read more on the PGII and the India-Europe economic corridor here.

All three health priorities of India’s G20 presidency found a mention in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration released on Saturday.

The declaration spoke of strengthening primary healthcare, health workforce, and essential health services to better-than-pre-pandemic levels, ideally within the next two to three years. In addition to focusing on epidemics such as tuberculosis and AIDS, the G20 recognised the importance of research on long COVID.

The declaration also stressed the importance of one health approach — where diseases in animals, plants, and humans are tracked by the same mechanism — with focus on tackling antimicrobial resistance.

What were the three priorities? What is the digital health programme? We explain.

The G20 summit attracted attention as it started with a clear consensus to invite the African Union (AU) as its member.

The action-oriented ambience saw President Azali Assoumani of Comoros, the chairperson of the AU, take his seat among the G20 members. This was a unique reordering of the global high table.

By insulating the G20 as best as possible from the vagaries of big-power rivalry, India guided the agenda to the Global South and its priorities. The inclusion of the AU, at par with the European Union, was unique.

Read the opinion by Gurjit Singh here.

The India-Saudi Arabia Investment Forum is currently underway in New Delhi.

The forum has been organised on the sidelines of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud's state visit to India.

(Video: PTI)

VIDEO | The Indian-Saudi Investment Forum being held in New Delhi.

The forum is taking place on the sidelines of the official state visit to India by Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. pic.twitter.com/rRi6Ow9ycu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 11, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi signs a copy of the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery' for WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi signs a copy of the book 'Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery' for WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Follow #LIVE updates: https://t.co/NK8ykkMAXN pic.twitter.com/nk709wOnWr

— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) September 11, 2023

After wrapping-up the G20 Summit, Saudi Arabian Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is on a one-day state visit to India today.

Saud met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who received him at the venue around 10 am. The duo is set to have a meeting at the Hyderabad House today, news agency ANI reported.

VIDEO | Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is on a one-day State visit to India today after attending the G20 Summit on September 9-10. pic.twitter.com/iCA81WDoBu

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 11, 2023

Saudi Arabian Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud Monday was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi.

Saud met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who received him at the venue around 10 am. The duo is set to have a meeting at the Hyderabad House today, news agency ANI reported.

Following his meeting with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House, the Saudi Crown Prince is expected to sign the minutes of the first meeting of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council at the same venue around 12 noon.

After concluding this event, the Saudi Arabian PM will meet President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan around 6:30 pm.

VIDEO | Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, accorded ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. pic.twitter.com/4UqLMa8aUO

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 11, 2023

Wrap-Up Gesture

Following the conclusion of the G20 Leaders’ Summit on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the International Media Centre at Bharat Mandapam where more than 1,000 Indian and foreign journalists covering the event have been working for the past two days.

A large crowd of the support staff and journalists gathered to get a glimpse of the Prime Minister, whom he greeted with a waving hand.

Giving Company

A feast for the senses at the G20 Spouses Programme today, posted Akshata Murty, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife, on social media, after participating in the day-long activities planned for the spouses of the G20 leaders on Saturday.

All through, the group of spouses were given company by Kyoko Jaishankar, wife of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Here's our collection of snippets from the G20 Summit here.

Has the spectacle of the G20 announced the arrival of India as an “impresario” of the international system, much like the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics heralded the emergence of China? “Too early to tell!”, would probably be the niggardly response of the Chinese leadership — most to gain from continuing uncertainty about India’s presence.

Beyond an obvious need to be patient and take a long-term view, but not a Chinese-chequered one, the reality is that any semi-objective assessment of India’s presidency, the summit and the events over the last year, would be a no-brainer: the benefits overwhelm the downside. 

In sum, the Presidency of the G20 has given New Delhi the weight and influence that India has rarely experienced in its contemporary history. Read Amitabh Mattoo's opinion on India's G20 presidency here.

Soon after flying to Vietnam from New Delhi, US President Joe Biden on Sunday said that he held “substantial discussions” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ways to strengthen the India-US partnership and thanked him for his leadership and hosting the G20 Summit. 

“As I always do, I raised the importance of respecting human rights and the vital role the civil society and a free press have in building a strong and prosperous country with Modi,” Biden told reporters in Hanoi, adding that they have got “a lot of important work done”.

The two leaders, at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, committed to “deepen and diversify” the bilateral defence partnership, also welcoming forward movement in India’s procurement of 31 drones and joint development of jet engines.

Read what Biden said about India and the G20 Summit here.

Stating that the world is larger than the five countries of US, UK, France, China and Russia that are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an on Sunday backed India for a permanent membership.

“A country like India being there on the UN Security Council, we would be proud. But as you know, the world is bigger than, larger than five,” Erdo?an said. “When we say the world is larger than five, what we mean is that it’s not only about the US, UK, France, China and Russia…we should only have permanent members and it should work on a rotational system, because right now, you have all these members, 195 countries, who are all members of the UN. So we should have a rotational mechanism where potentially each and every member, every one of those 195 countries can potentially become a member. That’s what we propose so they should be able to enjoy that.”

He termed India as its “greatest trade partner in South Asia” and said there is great potential for both the countries in the field of economy.

Read the full story here.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, speaking to reporters about the G20 Summit Monday, hoped for the Russia-Ukraine war to end by the time Brazil begins its G20 presidency in November this year.

“I hope when we open the Summit in Brazil, the war has ended and we are back to normal times,” Lula told the reporters.

A day earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the G20 Presidency gavel to Lula. Modi also proposed holding a virtual session at the end of November to take stock of the progress made on the suggestions in New Delhi.

VIDEO | Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks to media on G20 Summit, which concluded on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/gD0m28uKPj

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 11, 2023

The gender equality-related paragraph in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration is in alignment with the Saudi 2030 Vision that has specific targets for gender inclusion and empowerment, Dr Miznah Alomair, Head of Delegation, W20 Saudi told The Indian Express Sunday.

Dr Alomair, who has extensive teaching experience and is a published scholar in the field of leadership studies with focus on women leadership, youth leadership, and peace leadership, was recently appointed to head the Saudi delegation for the W20 engagement group.

W20 is the official G20 engagement group focused on gender equity. Its primary objective is to ensure that gender considerations are mainstreamed into G20 discussions and translated into the G20 Leaders’ Declaration as policies and commitments that foster gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.

Read more about gender equality at G20 and Saudi 2030 vision here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The PM’s discussions with Michel and von der Leyen focused on a range of aspects of the India–EU Strategic Partnership, including the next India-EU Summit, the ongoing Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, climate change and LiFE and digital technology.

“The leaders also discussed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor that was launched on Saturday,” said a government statement, adding that both sides felt the need to expeditiously implement the project and that PM Modi also highlighted the possibility of solar projects under the corridor.

Read the full story here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday agreed to continue working towards reform in the UN Security Council (UNSC) under the framework of the G4 and L.69 groupings as well as by holding regular bilateral coordination meetings.

The G4 nations — Brazil, Germany, India and Japan — support each others’ bid for permanent UNSC membership. The L.69, a group of developing countries from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific (Small Island Developing States), also supports UNSC reform.

On Sunday, Modi and Lula expressed disappointment over the Intergovernmental Negotiations on UN Security Council reform which have not produced tangible progress. They agreed that the time has come to move towards a result-oriented process that aims to achieve concrete outcomes in a fixed time-frame, a joint statement released by the two countries stated. Read more here.

If the Delhi Declaration celebrated the New Delhi consensus, another united front was clear and visible. On a rain-soaked Sunday morning, at Rajghat.

Just ahead of the concluding session of the G20 Summit, the visiting heads of state stood together, in silence, to pay their tributes to Mahatma Gandhi – and raise a united voice for world peace.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the leaders at the samadhi sthal with a hand-spun khadi ‘angavastram’ or stole, standing against the backdrop of a large poster of Sabarmati Ashram, the Mahatma’s residence from 1917 to 1930 and one of the main centres of India’s freedom struggle against British rule.

With the off-white khadi scarves around their necks, the leaders walked to the memorial platform, which features an eternal flame, and stood together before wreaths placed around it.

Saudi Arabian Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Hyderabad House today, news agency ANI reported.

The Saudi Arabian Crown Prince will receive a ceremonial reception at Rastrapati Bhawan in New Delhi at 10 am.

Following his meeting with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House, the Saudi Crown Prince is expected to sign the minutes of the first meeting of the India-Saudi Strategic Partnership Council at the same venue around 12 noon.

After concluding this event, the Saudi Arabian PM will meet President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhawan around 6:30 pm. (ANI)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the G20 summit will prove to be a milestone in the realisation of the 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' as envisaged by the current dispensation at the Centre.

In a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday, Adityanath said, "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the G20 Summit successfully concluded today and has moved forward strongly towards achieving its targeted objectives. This summit will prove to be a milestone in the realisation of the spirit of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'."

Adityanath said due to the special efforts of India, the African Union got permanent membership of the G20 group, which was a success of the all-inclusive call for 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' of Modi. "Permanent solutions to many problems like food, water, education, medicine, terrorism, unstable economy, unrest, distrust are also inherent in this mantra," he said. (PTI)

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Choudhury on Sunday questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to attend the dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on the occasion of G20 meet in New Delhi, asking if that would not weaken her stance against the Narendra Modi government, news agency PTI reported.

The state Congress president also wondered whether there was “any other reason” for the Trinamool Congress supremo to take part in the programme.

The TMC hit back at Choudhury, saying that Banerjee is one of the prime movers behind the non-BJP bloc INDIA and the Congress leader did not need to lecture her about certain protocols to be followed from the administrative point of view. "When many non-BJP CMs refrained from attending the dinner, Didi (Mamata Banerjee) went to Delhi a day in advance. She attended the occasion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the same room, the report stated.

Banerjee travelled to Delhi on Friday, while the dinner party was held the next day. Choudhury asked, "Is there any other reason behind her attending the occasion?" Reacting to his statement, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen said everyone knows Mamata Banerjee is one of the architects behind INDIA and none can question her commitment. "Choudhury will not decide when the chief minister of the state will go to attend a dinner on the occasion of G20 as part of the protocol," Sen said. (PTI)

In an apparent security breach during the G20 Summit on Saturday evening, a Saudi Arabian national entered the five-star hotel where UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was staying and was stopped by security personnel while trying to meet him in the lobby.

When questioned, he told security personnel that his brother was in the hospital in Saudi Arabia and he came to meet the UAE Crown Prince in Delhi to seek his help, The Indian Express has learnt.

According to an official, the man was staying at a leading hotel in Aerocity. “The Saudi Arabian national checked in on Saturday. After a few hours, he asked hotel staff to provide him with a cab to travel to Delhi. They gave him a black Innova Crysta which had a sticker issued by the Delhi Police security unit. He first went to IGI Airport and then to the Taj Mahal hotel,” an official said.

Read the full story here.

In view of United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s visit to Akshardham temple, along with the wreath-laying ceremony at Rajghat and other VVIP movement across New Delhi and South Delhi, the Delhi Police had to make several “last-minute changes” to ensure the safety and security of all dignitaries and their contingents.

Police said that while more than 10,000 personnel were deployed across Delhi for the G20 summit, on Sunday, more forces were roped in as world leaders and several dignitaries stepped out and visited different monuments.

More than 2,000 personnel were deployed in Central Delhi, South Delhi and other important venues where the police expected VVIP movement.

Read more here.

Besides strict security measures and traffic restrictions in the run-up to the G20 Summit, a contingency plan in the event of a downpour in the Capital was also put in place.

On Saturday night and early Sunday morning, this plan was activated after rainfall overnight left some areas of Delhi waterlogged — including a section of the Bharat Mandapam, the G20 Summit venue. Keeping in mind the waterlogging and flooding the city saw in July and August, alarm bells went off when it started to rain during the dinner hosted by the President at the Mandapam.

“Water from the main venue and other areas prone to flooding was drained within 15 minutes at night,” officials at Raj Niwas said. A senior official of NBCC (India) Ltd, the government-owned construction company that built the site, said water had collected due to overnight rain but drained out by around 6 am. The official said there had been no blockages or other issues with the drainage.

Read more about the arrangements made to clear waterlogging here.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, a former chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on External Affairs and former UN under-secretary-general, is one of the Opposition party’s foremost experts on foreign policy and diplomacy.

In an interview to The Indian Express, Tharoor speaks about the summit, India’s presidency, and developments that troubled him.

Excerpts:

Your first thoughts on the G20 Summit and its outcomes?

Tharoor: The outcome is undoubtedly a diplomatic triumph for India because until the leaders arrived in Delhi, there was considerable doubt as to whether there would even be a joint communique. The differences between those who wanted a condemnation of the Russian war in Ukraine and those who wanted to avoid all mention of that conflict seemed impossible to bridge but the government has managed a very adroit diplomatic manoeuvre in pulling off a successful formula that had seemed elusive for the last nine months. That is very much to India’s credit and can be classified as a success.

On the negative side of the ledger, there are two things that troubled me.

Read the full interview here.

For Russia, G20 summit ‘a breakthrough, India checked the West’

A day after Moscow signed on the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration which did not mention Russia while calling for peace in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Sunday that the Summit was a “definite success” and a “breakthrough”, paving the way for the world to move forward on challenges.

Addressing the press, Lavrov praised the Global South and said it “doesn’t want to be lectured”. He called the Summit a “turning point” and a “milestone” since the Global South led the conversation. Read more here.

Whereas, for France, G20 ‘confirms isolation of Russia, condemns war’

Calling India’s G20 Presidency in this “fragmented world” a “very important positive momentum” on critical issues, French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that “this G20 confirms once again the isolation of Russia”.

Speaking at a press conference a day after the adoption of the Declaration when he held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron said, “I think we do have the same views that we must preserve balances in this current environment. We must resist the fragmentation of this world and we must work together to provide solutions to the rest of the world on what makes sense.” Read the full story here.

In a sharply-worded statement at a time when all bilateral meetings with visiting leaders of G20 countries have been positive, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed to his Canadian counterpart, Justin Trudeau, New Delhi’s “strong concerns” about “continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements” in Canada.

In a readout of the meeting between Modi and Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said: “He (Modi) conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship.”

Modi said that a relationship based on “mutual respect and trust” is essential for the progress of India-Canada ties, the MEA said. After his meeting with Trudeau, Modi tweeted that they had discussed the full range of India-Canada ties across different sectors.

Read the full story here.

Addressing the closing session of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday proposed holding a virtual session at the end of November to take stock of the progress made on the suggestions in New Delhi.

“As you all know, India has the responsibility of G-20 Presidency till November. There are still two and a half months left. In these two days, all of you have put forth many things, given suggestions, made many proposals. It is our responsibility to look at the suggestions that have come forward to see how our progress can be accelerated. I propose that we hold another virtual session of the G-20 Summit at the end of November,” Modi said.

“In that session we can review the topics decided during this summit. Our team will share the details of all these with you all,” he said before declaring the conclusion of the G-20 Summit.

Before the address, Modi handed over the G20 Presidency gavel to Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil, a country which will assume the presidency of the grouping from December 1 this year. Read the full story here.

AS the curtains fell on the G20 Summit Sunday, the consensus arrived in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration set the stage for the diplomatic and political conversation on the Russia-Ukraine conflict with a hope — across the spectrum — that the text is expected to set the tone for any negotiations between the two warring sides: the West-led G7 grouping that is backing Ukraine, and Russia, which has Beijing’s support in the form of a no-limits friendship.

We spoke to officials from several member states to find that behind the hectic negotiations that went into the joint communique, lay hard work to build common ground and articulate a formulation acceptable to all.

What framed the challenge was the fact that the two paras in the Bali declaration lay shattered within a month of the November 2022 G20 Summit, the sense being that these, by echoing the UN resolutions — where India had abstained — deploring Russian aggression, were “divisive” and “divergent.” The Delhi declaration needed a “completely new language,” said an official closely involved in the process. “We needed a text that had something for everyone so that each member can go back with a win.”

Read more on how the consensus text came into being, after hours of painstaking conversation to get a sense of each one’s red lines.

Over the years, the prime minister has frequently spoken about India’s growing stature on the international stage during his tenure, portraying it as a guide to the world.

Here is a look at some of those instances.

Sources have said that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's flight was delayed after the aircraft faced some technical issues. The flight was supposed to leave tonight, but due to the technical snag, it will leave tomorrow.

As the G20 Summit drew to a close, here’s what Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had to say on the meet: “The Delhi Declaration is undoubtedly a diplomatic triumph for India. It's a good achievement because right until the G 20 summit was being convened, the widespread expectation was that there would be no agreement and that a joint communique might not be possible. We might have to end up with a chairman's summary. The main reason was the big gulf between those who wanted a condemnation of the Russian war in Ukraine and those, like Russia and China, who wanted no mention whatsoever of that subject. India was able to find a formula to bridge that gap. And that is a significant diplomatic achievement because when there is a Summit without a joint communique, it is always seen as a setback for the chairman...”

#WATCH | On G-20 Summit, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "The Delhi Declaration is undoubtedly a diplomatic triumph for India. It's a good achievement because right until the G-20 summit was being convened, the widespread expectation was there would be no agreement and that… pic.twitter.com/Y51wr3WDWa

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2023

#WATCH | G 20 in India | Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Digital India Pavilion at the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi pic.twitter.com/8AFFzrFbsk

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2023

US President Joe Biden, in a televised address after the conclusion of the G20 summit, said "At the G 20, we made progress on issues like multilateral development, bank reform to get to those nations that are neither poor nor wealthy...We forged a groundbreaking new partnership that will connect India to Europe with the Middle East and Israel with transportation by rail and by shipment through energy supplies and digital connections that are going to open up untold opportunities for transformative economic investment on that entire corridor. We've also discussed Russia's brutal and illegal war in Ukraine."

#WATCH | US President Joe Biden says, "... At the G 20, we made progress on issues like multilateral development, bank reform to get to those nations that are neither poor nor wealthy...We forged a groundbreaking new partnership that will connect India to Europe with the Middle… pic.twitter.com/AAhCAgzTXG

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2023

For the Narendra Modi government, this could well come close to being the week of its dreams. At week’s end, was a G20 New Delhi Leaders Declaration that framed a hard-won consensus on the world stage, India in the spotlight. Other days of the week were dotted with disruptions at home, the Modi government at the centre.Read Vandita Mishra's column on the controversy & congratulations surrouding the Modi government this week.

Read Vandita Mishra's column on the controversy & congratulations surrounding the Modi government this week.

"The partnership between India and the United States is rooted in Mahatma Gandhi’s principal of trusteeship – trusteeship that is shared between our countries and for our shared planet," writes US President Joe Biden in a post on X.

The partnership between India and the United States is rooted in Mahatma Gandhi’s principal of trusteeship – trusteeship that is shared between our countries and for our shared planet.

Thank you, Prime Minister for bringing us here today. pic.twitter.com/ulo0T0jgLK

— President Biden (@POTUS) September 10, 2023

As the G20 drew to a close, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Bharat Mandapam, where he is set to deliver an address shortly. Earlier the PM handed over the gavel of presidency to the President of Brazil Luiz Inácio da Silva, and held bilateral meetings with several heads of state and organizations, including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, among others.

The G20 New Delhi Leaders' Declaration is a comprehensive document as it lays the roadmap for collective global action in building a prosperous future, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Sunday.

"Congratulations to 'Bharat', visionary leadership and the entire team for meticulous execution and successful conclusion of G20 Summit in New Delhi," the vice president was quoted as saying by his secretariat in a post on X.

Congratulations Bharat, visionary leadership and the entire team for meticulous execution and successful conclusion of G20 summit in New Delhi.

The historic summit, inspired by our civilizational ethos, would ever be remembered for forging consensus among world leaders on the… pic.twitter.com/ngsFF5u9m1

— Vice President of India (@VPIndia) September 10, 2023

In a post after meeting with Netherlands PM Mark Rutte, PM Modi said that they "talked about ways to enhance friendship between our nations. The scope of cooperation for our businesses is immense. We also look forward to strong ties in clean energy, semiconductors, digital technology and more."

Excellent meeting with @MinPres Mark Rutte. We talked about ways to enhance friendship between our nations. The scope of cooperation for our businesses is immense. We also look forward to strong ties in clean energy, semiconductors, digital technology and more. pic.twitter.com/KorTmjTKA1

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2023

Following the meeting between Candian PM Justin Trudea and PM Modi, the MEA issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister 'conveyed our strong concerns about the continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomtic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship. The nexus of such forces with organized crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well. It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats. PM also mentioned that a relationship based on mutual respect and trust is essential for the progress of India-Canada relationship.'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be arriving at Bharat Mandapam to give an address as the second day of the G20 summit draws to a close.

#WATCH | G-20 in India: PM Narendra Modi to arrive at Bharat Mandapam shortly; outside visuals from the venue#Delhi pic.twitter.com/HJvH0nxdyE

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2023

After meeting with Prime Minister Modi, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posts: "A strong partnership with India is paramount for Europe. Glad to see our Trade and Tech Council in action. And to have launched with you a historic project, the India – Middle East – Europe Economic Corridor. We also look forward to progress on a Free Trade Agreement. This would unlock the great potential in our partnership. Thank you for your skillful leadership of the G20..."

Great meeting with @EU_Commission President @vonderleyen and @eucopresident @CharlesMichel. Subjects such as improved connectivity, trade and technology featured prominently in our discussions. India-EU cooperation in futuristic sectors including green hydrogen is very laudatory. pic.twitter.com/ZimofZG7lZ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a bilateral talk on the sidelines of the summit.

#WATCH | G 20 in India | Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva hold a bilateral talk in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/89IEqxl84a

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2023

Russia will return to the Black Sea grain deal “the same day” as Moscow’s conditions for export of its own grain and fertilisers to the global markets are met, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on Sunday.

Russia quit the deal in July, a year after it was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, complaining that its own food and fertiliser exports faced obstacles and that insufficient Ukrainian grain was going to countries in need.

"When all the necessary actions for removing obstacles for our grain and fertiliser exports are implemented, the same day we will return to the collective implementation of the Ukrainian part of the 'Black Sea initiative'", Lavrov told a briefing after attending a two-day G20 summit in New Delhi. (Reuters)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol on the sidelines of the summit.

The deliberations with @President_KR Yoon Suk Yeol were extensive. Reviewing the complete spectrum of bilateral relations, we agreed to further boost commercial and cultural ties between India and the Republic of Korea. pic.twitter.com/SVOalbmUnM

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2023

Very good meeting with @Bundeskanzler @OlafScholz in Delhi. Thanked him for enriching the G20 Summit with his views. Also discussed how India and Germany can continue working together in clean energy, innovation and work towards a better planet. pic.twitter.com/g62rUXEVDc

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2023

After the announcement of the African Union's permanent membership in the G 20, President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani said, 'I was about to cry. It was a great emotion for me. Because actually, we thought that there was going to be a debate, and then a decision would be taken but at the very beginning of the Summit it was announced that we were a member.'

#WATCH | G 20 in India | After the announcement of the African Union's permanent membership in the G 20, President of the Union of Comoros and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani says, 'I was about to cry. It was a great emotion for me. Because actually, we… pic.twitter.com/fmZsXePZvR

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2023

Ahead of his departure to Vietnam, US President Joe Biden on Sunday said the recently concluded G20 Summit in Delhi has proven that the grouping can still drive solutions to its most pressing issues.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the summit declaration “does a very good job of standing up for the principle that states cannot use force to seek territorial acquisition or to violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of other states”.

He was among the gamut of world leaders in attendance at the Summit held on Saturday and Sunday.

Click here to read what other world leaders said about the summit.