G-20 Summit 2019 Highlights: 19 member countries recommit to Paris climate deal, US opposes

19 G20 members, without US, recommit to Paris climate deal. (AFP)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs from Osaka after attending the two-day G-20 Summit.

PM Modi also held a bilateral meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks on a host of key issues including trade and investment, defence and counter-terrorism.

According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, the two leaders' discussions focused on trade and investment, defence, counter-terrorism, IT and civil aviation.

"The interactions in Osaka continue. A productive meeting with President Erdogan on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit. Both leaders talked about the strong development partnership between India and Turkey," the Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet.

India and Indonesia on Saturday set an ambitious $50 billion target for bilateral trade over the next six years as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Indonesia President Joko Widodo discussed ways to deepen cooperation in a number of key areas including economy, defence and maritime security.

The two leaders, who are in Osaka, Japan for the G-20 Summit, met in the morning and discussed ways to boost bilateral ties and enhance cooperation in trade and investment.

According to Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, India and Indonesia set a $50 billion target for bilateral trade by 2025.

Trade between the two countries in 2016 was USD 12.9 billion. It rose 28.7 per cent to USD 18.13 billion in 2017 with Indonesia's exports to India reaching USD 14.08 billion and its imports from India standing at USD 4.05 billion, according to Indonesia's Central Statistics Agency.

During his meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Indonesian President Widodo, the two leaders discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade and investment, defence and maritime fronts.

(PTI)

G-20 leaders at the closing session of G-20 Summit in Osaka on Saturday.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan Saturday said that there were no setbacks in the Russian S-400 missile defence systems deal, adding that "eyes are on the delivery process", expected in the first half of July.

Erdogan, speaking before talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Japan, also said it was important to finish the first reactor in the Akkuyu nuclear power plant by 2023.

The US has warned that it would impose sanctions on Turkey if it went ahead with the S-400 deal under its CAATSA Act. But Turkey has dismissed the warnings and said it would not back down.

Erdogan is also due to meet US President Donald Trump in Osaka.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar holds bilateral strategic dialogue with Foreign Affairs Minister of Japan Taro Kono in Osaka.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo earlier today, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "In today's meeting of PM Modi with President of Indonesia in Osaka, there was a view that since election has concluded in both countries, it was time for both to strengthen comprehensive strategic partnership which was established during last visit of PM to Indonesia."

(ANI)

With China, the Trump administration is pushing for China to reform policies on trade, subsidy and intellectual property practices that it says have given Chinese companies an unfair advantage over US companies for decades.

The United States is not promising China reforms in return. Rather, the Trump administration has said it would remove the tariffs it has imposed on China to try to force those changes. So the incentive to China is to return to the market access it had to the United States before Trump began the trade war. Read more

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he was open to a potentially "historic" trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as they began talks that could ease tensions or plunge the world's two largest economies into a deeper trade war.

"I actually think that we were very close and ... that something happened where it slipped a little bit, and now we’re getting a little bit closer," Trump told Xi as the cameras rolled at the start of the closely-watched talks.

"But it would be historic if we could do a fair trade deal. We're totally open to it, and I know you're totally open to it," he added, without giving any details about the deal.

'Kithana ache he Modi': Australian PM Scott Morrison tweeted a selfie with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi from the G-20 Summit in Osaka.

US President Donald Trump held bilateral talks his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping Saturday on Day 2 of the ongoing G-20 summit. The prevailing trade tensions between the two nations is expected to form the core of the talks of the meeting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Turkish President Recip Tayyip Erdogan on the second day of G-20 Summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Brazillian President Jair M Bolsonaro on the sidelines of G-20 Summit on Saturday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on the sidelines of G-20 Summit on Saturday.

In a sign of resistance against developed countries led by the US and Japan, which are pushing for free flow of data across borders, India Friday refused to become a signatory to the Osaka declaration on digital economy that was signed by 24 countries and groupings.

While a majority of G-20 countries signed off on the launch of “Osaka track”, an overarching framework promoting cross-border data flow with enhanced protections launched by Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, India was joined by South Africa and Indonesia in keeping away. Read more

With a small piece of paper in hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke first and set out four priority issues he wanted to discuss with US President Donald Trump — Iran, 5G, bilateral ties and defence relationship. Trump picked out trade and 5G, even as he was effusive in his praise for Modi.

On Friday, the bilateral meeting between the two leaders went slightly beyond the allotted 40 minutes, with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale telling reporters later that both sides “aired their concerns”, and agreed that their trade ministers, or representatives, will meet soon to sort out these issues. Read more

The 14th edition of the G-20 Summit is currently underway in Japan’s Osaka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met several global leaders and also addressed an informal meeting of BRICS leaders on the sidelines of the summit. Read more here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday presented his "5-I" vision to maximise digital technology for social benefit in his intervention at the G20 Summit on digital economy and artificial intelligence (AI).

"Shaping the agenda. PM @narendramodi presented his vision of maximising digital technology for society benefit in his intervention at G20 on Digital Economy & AI. The 5 'I's are -- Inclusiveness, Indigenisation, Innovation, Investment in infrastructure & International cooperation," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

President Vladimir Putin on Friday invited Donald Trump to Russia in May to mark the 75th anniversary of the victory over Adolf Hitler.

China's foreign ministry has expressed hope that Washington can "meet China halfway" as President Xi Jinping prepares to meet President Donald Trump amid a costly tariff fight over trade and technology, the Associated Press reported.

Investors are hoping for a repeat of Trump and Xi's December agreement to postpone new tariff hikes and other action while they tried to negotiate a settlement. 

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland and Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard on the sidelines of the G20 summit here and held talks on strengthening India's relationship with the two countries, news agency PTI reported.

Jaishankar is accompanying Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the G20 Summit being held in this Japanese port city.

President Donald Trump on Friday sardonically asked his Russian counterpart to please not meddle in US elections, appearing to make light of a scandal that led to an investigation of his campaign’s contact with the Kremlin during 2016 elections. Read more here

PM Narendra Modi had 'pull-aside' meetings with PM of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc and World Bank President David Malpass in the Leaders' Lounge on the margins of G20 Summit in Osaka, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged G-20 leaders to take action on equitable and stable reforms to strengthen the global financial safety net and increase the global economy's resilience, the Associated Press reported.

Guterres said in a letter to leaders gathered in Osaka that while the world has made progress fixing some big problems it's not happening fast enough or shared by all countries.

He added saying that while there are good plans and vision, what's needed are "accelerated actions, not more deliberations.''

India along with other BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa) on Friday called on all states to prevent financing of terrorist networks and of terrorist actions from their territories, news agency PTI reported.

In a joint statement after their informal meeting, BRICS leaders also reiterated their commitment to fight the exploitation of internet for terrorist purposes.

"We strongly condemn terrorist attacks, including against BRICS countries, in all forms and manifestations, wherever and by whom so ever committed," they said.

During their meeting, PM Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed ways to deepen the Indo-German relations and enhance cooperation in areas like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Chancellor Merkel also congratulated Modi on the recent electoral victory, the Prime Minister's Office said in a tweet.

In Osaka, PM Modi is now addressing a trilateral meeting with Russia and China. 

In a significant step, Saudi Arabia has increased India's Haj quota from 170,000 to 200,000, paving the way for 30,000 more Indians to go for the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in the kingdom. The issue of India's Haj quota was discussed during Modi's bilateral talks with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman here. "This is important and this has been done," Vijay Gokhale said.

The US is pressuring allies at the G20 to reject strong climate change language in the meeting's final statement, despite furious opposition from the European Union countries, a French presidential source told AFP. "Three or four (countries) are under American pressure to water down the message," a French presidency source told reporters in Osaka. The source, however, declined to name the countries being targeted by Washington, though Brazil under its new President Jair Bolsonaro and oil-producing Saudi Arabia are both considered climate change sceptics.

India said its decision to purchase S-400 missile defence system from Russia did not figure during the talks between PM Modi and US PresidentTrump though they discussed ways to step up the bilateral military cooperation. The S-400 is known as Russia's most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system. China was the first foreign buyer to seal a government-to-government deal with Russia in 2014 for the system. India and Russia signed a USD 5 billion S-400 air defence system deal in October last year. "This was a very open and productive meeting. The two leaders had a very warm discussion. President Trump congratulated Prime Minister Modi on his victory and Prime Minister in particular noted that Trump had sent a very warm letter to him through Secretary of State (Mike) Pompeo," Vijay Gokhale said.

Osaka is Japan’s third-largest city, one of Asia’s top urban and vibrant travel destinations. While Tokyo is said to be more polished and pricey, Osaka is much more laid back and economical. The city is all about great food and a lot of places to shop, especially if your bargain skills are good. Which is why Osaka is sure to guarantee a good time for all those who visit. We’ve put together a quick list of some of the top things to do in Osaka if you’re a first-time visitor. Click here to know more.

US President Trump hailed his "very, very good relationship" with Russia's President Vladimir Putin as the two leaders held talks on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, AFP reported. "It's a great honour to be with President Putin," said Trump, who last held face-to-face talks with the Russian leader in Helsinki in July. "We have a very, very good relationship," he added.

PM Modi also met German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the sidelines of the meeting. "Giving impetus to friendship with Germany. Chancellor Merkel and PM Modi discuss ways to diversify and deepen India-Germany ties. Chancellor Merkel also congratulated PM Modi on the recent electoral victory," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

During a meeting with South African leaders, China said that protectionism and "bullying" were threatening the world order, AFP reported. Xi held talks with three of his African counterparts. "All leaders in the meeting stressed that unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying practices are on the rise, posing severe threats to economic globalisation and international order, and severe challenges to the external environment of developing countries," Chinese foreign ministry official Dai Bing told reporters. Dai said the meeting involved Xi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Senegal President Macky Sall.

Chinese President Jinping has agreed "in principle" to pay a state visit to Japan next spring at the invitation of Prime Minister Abe, according to China's official Xinhua news agency. Last year, Abe had visited Beijing, the first official visit by a Japanese prime minister since 2011. Today, he extended the spring invitation to Xi during a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka. "I want to enhance Japan-China relations to the next height by welcoming President Xi Jinping to Japan during cherry blossom next year," Abe said. Xi agreed "in principle" to the invitation. Relations between Asia's two biggest economies have warmed in recent years after suffering in 2012 when Tokyo "nationalised" disputed islands claimed by Beijing.

The first session of the G-20 Summit is at present underway in Osaka.

"Met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. We reviewed the full range of relations between India and Saudi Arabia. Our talks today will add great strength to bilateral ties between our nations," Modi tweeted.

"We are committed to transparent, non-discriminatory, open, free and inclusive international trade. Protectionism and unilateralism run counter to the spirit and rules of the World Trade Organization," the BRICS leaders added.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the BRICS leaders said, "Corruption, including illicit money and financial flows, and ill-gotten wealth stashed in foreign jurisdictions, is a global challenge which may impact negatively on economic growth and sustainable development." 

At the meeting with BRICS leaders, Modi put forward a five-point approach to address common challenges facing the world, including protectionism, unilateralism at global financial organisations like the WTO and terrorism. "Today I will focus on three major challenges. First, the recession and uncertainty in the world economy. Unilateral decisions and rivalries are overshadowing rule-based multilateral international trade systems," Modi said. On the other hand, the lack of resources is reflected in the fact that there is a shortage of an estimated USD 1.3 trillion in investment for emerging market economies," he added.

On the digital economy, Trump, while addressing the BRICS leaders, said, "We must ensure resilience and security of our 5G networks. It is essential to our shared safety and prosperity. The US opposes data localisation and policies which have been used to restrict digital trade and violate privacy and intellectual property protections." 

Osaka should bring sharper focus to G-20 proceedings by concentrating minds on today’s threats rather than tomorrow’s challenges. The US-China trade war, American unilateralism in trade policy and China’s opaque trade and other economic policies have emerged as major threats to global economic growth and stability. The G-20 must discuss these issues because all G-20 economies have a stake in the outcome of the US-China bilateral talks. The G-20 cannot be reduced to a G-2, writes Sanjaya Baru, Distinguished Fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis in New Delhi. Read his full opinion piece here.

On talks with South Korea, Gokhale said, "We held fruitful talks with South Korea. Efforts are on for easier visa to the country." On Saudi Arabia, he said, "We are hopeful of hiking the Haj quota to Saudi Arabia."

"All the BRICS countries condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, reiterated responsibility for preventing financing of terrorism, for using territories and the internet for terrorist purposes," Gokhale said.

Addressing the media, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said, "The discussion with President Trump was mainly bilateral. There are a few engagements the Prime Minister has in the afternoon. The Russia India China trilateral will be his last engagement for today."

"Delighted to meet BRICS leaders. Shared my thoughts on the importance of access to energy and energy security, making WTO mechanisms stronger and fighting protectionism and close cooperation to eliminate forces of terror," Modi tweeted.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said some developed countries are taking protectionist measures that are leading to trade conflicts and economic blockade - calling them the biggest risk of the increase in instability in the global economy. "All this is destroying the global trade order... This also impacts common interests of our countries, overshadows the peace and stability world-wide," Xi told a meeting of the BRICs countries' leaders. He added that in such circumstances, the BRICS countries should "increase our resilience and capability to cope with external risks".

Speaking to The Indian Express, Takeshi Osuga, spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan said, "The Sherpas are still negotiating the outcome document, so I can’t prejudge. G-20 has been the premier forum for economic cooperation, so political and security issues are not treated as agenda No. 1. Even with that nature of G-20, the issue of terrorism has been mentioned in the past, because terrorism does have a negative impact on international economic cooperation." Read his full interview here.

President Trump, meanwhile, made clear that trade was a top priority at a summit of leaders of Group of 20 nations, as Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned against rising protectionism and India and Russia defended multilateral trade rules. "I think we’re going to have some very big things to announce. Very big trade deal. We’re doing some very big things with India in terms of trade, in terms of manufacturing," Trump said at the start of talks with Modi. Trump also said he would discuss Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei with the Indian leader. "We actually sell Huawei many of its parts," he said, adding, "So we’re going to be discussing that and also how India fits in. And we’ll be discussing Huawei."

PM Modi also held bilateral talks with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman and discussed deepening cooperation in trade and investment, energy security and counter-terrorism with the "invaluable strategic partner" in Osaka. "An invaluable strategic partner. PM @narendramodi met with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud on the margins of the #G20. Discussed deepening cooperation in trade & investment, energy security, counter-terrorism, among other areas," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet. Saudi Prince Salman, who is also the Gulf nation's defence minister, had visited India in February on his first official visit to the country.

Taking to Twitter, Modi said he discussed various subjects with Trump during their meeting today. "The talks with US President Trump were wide-ranging. We discussed ways to leverage the power of technology, improve defence and security ties as well as issues relating to trade. India stands committed to further deepen economic and cultural relations with USA," he tweeted.

"India is the key country towards realising the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (strategy). We have a lot of expectations from the leadership of PM Modi, who just won a re-election bid and is in a good position to decide on bold policies in coming years. As president of G-20, we wish to send a very strong message on promotion of free trade, innovation. We need full cooperation of leaders of G-20 (members), and we have high expectations of (a) constructive and proactive role of India," Takeshi Osuga, spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan, told The Indian Express. Read his full interview here.

Ahead of PM Modi meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Takeshi Osuga, spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Japan and the country’s Foreign Ministry, spoke exclusively with The Indian Express in Osaka about the bilateral meeting, the G-20 summit’s agenda, and expectations from India. "At the Osaka summit, Japan will listen carefully to each country’s views and lead discussions towards achieving sustainable global economic growth through promoting free trade, innovation and digitalisation," Osuga said. Read full interview here.

Amid fears over her health, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived at the summit today. Merkel's plane touched down in the western Japanese city with a German government spokesman stressing, "She is doing well. Nothing is wrong." The 65-year-old German leader had sparked renewed fears for her health after she began to tremble at a speech given by the German president on Thursday. The shaking lasted around two minutes, according to a DPA photographer present. A previous bout of uncontrollable shaking last week was blamed on dehydration on a hot summer's day.

During the formal inauguration, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged leaders from the Group of 20 major economies to deliver a strong message to support "free, fair and indiscriminate" trade as he expressed "deep concerns" over the current landscape of global trade. Abe said Japan, as a flag-bearer of free trade, would strongly promote improvement in a multilateral trade system and negotiations over agreements on economic cooperation. "Today, I want to discuss with leaders measures to further enhance momentum towards reform in WTO," he said. 

The 14th edition of the summit has begun in Osaka, ANI reported.

Modi and the BRICS leaders exchanged views on regional, multilateral and global cooperation. The Prime Minister also put forward a five-point approach to address the common challenges facing the world.