The Union Government led by the indefatigable leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi must be accorded laud applause for the way the recently concluded G20 Summit was planned and executed with utmost meticulousness in every aspect. It did not matter in the final analysis when Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin pulled out of the Summit. The presence of the President of the USA Joe Biden alongside other prominent leaders from around the world more than made up for these notable absentees. In hindsight, it must be construed that the absence of these two leaders turned out to be a blessing in disguise for it allowed the Indian leadership to seamlessly maneuver around several tricky issues surrounding the Summit.
PC – ANI
Of course, the biggest takeaway from the G20 Summit was the unanimous inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 forum, an exclusive Indian initiative. Needless to mention, India has once again proved the sceptics wrong and gone about achieving the same in style. The sceptics had confidently predicted that the 2023 G20 Leaders’ Summit would fail to issue a joint statement, indeed becoming the first such Summit with such glaring failure. Indeed, they were right insofar as the world has become more bitterly polarized over the last year and the shadow of these deep divisions was long over many of the G20 meetings. But where they underestimated India was how strong its network of relationships is today.
Further, its determination to marshall these to build a meaningful consensus was also questioned. The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration provides a pragmatic road map for how to continue imperative global cooperation when severe geopolitical discord threatens global wellbeing. Yes, the declaration included PM Modi’s words that today’s era must not be of war. Bringing the US and Russia to common ground on the language over the Ukraine war has been no mean feat. Being able to deliver this is an important piece of India’s image in the world growing with its G20 presidency. But there are also several others. The edit below highlights the importance of India’s successful advocacy for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent G20 member.
PC – Staff Writer
Interestingly, India, USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the EU signing an MoU for a connective corridor from India to Europe via the Middle East is of immense importance. Analysts were quick to term this the new spice route because it is promising dramatically smoothened pathways for the flow of trade, technology, and energy plus a counter to China’s Belt and Road heft in global infrastructure. Nonetheless, the ambitiousness of this corridor shall be matched by its difficulty levels as the finances are not yet known. Thus, big tests for the work of this Summit shall continue well after its end. New Delhi’s voice of reason and clarity shall be invaluable in today’s world as the declaration suggests.
