Johannesburg, Nov 21 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday arrived in South Africa’s Johannesburg to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit. Upon arrival, he was accorded a warm welcome at the airport.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit is set to take place in Johannesburg on November 22-23. On the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, PM Modi is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders present in Johannesburg.
“Landed in Johannesburg for the G20 Summit related engagements. Look forward to productive discussions with world leaders on key global issues. Our focus will be on strengthening cooperation, advancing development priorities and ensuring a better future for all,” PM Modi posted on X after his arrival.
PM Modi travelled to Johannesburg to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit at the invitation of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. This is the fourth consecutive G20 Summit being held in the Global South – the first to take place on African soil – and Prime Minister’s fourth official visit to South Africa following his bilateral visit in 2016 and later for the two BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
“This will be a particularly special Summit given that it would be the first G20 Summit being held in Africa. During India’s Presidency of the G20 in 2023, the African Union had become a member of the G20,” read the Prime Minister’s departure statement.
“The Summit will be an opportunity to discuss key global issues. The theme of this year’s G20 has been ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’, by which South Africa has carried forward the outcomes from the previous Summits held in New Delhi, India and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I will present India’s perspective at the Summit in line with our vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘One Earth, One Family and One future,’ PM Modi said.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), PM Modi will also participate in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders’ Meeting, hosted by South Africa.
India, under PM Modi, had spearheaded efforts that led to the African Union joining the G20 – an achievement termed as a landmark during India’s G20 presidency in 2023.
India on Thursday said that it is looking forward to a successful and productive G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa’s Johannesburg.
“The summit will be important for India to ensure continuity of its priorities in the G20 after having hosted a very successful presidency in 2023. As you are aware, the G20 has emerged as a premier forum for international economic cooperation as well as for discussing matters of global significance. The G20 provides an excellent opportunity for the leaders of major and emerging economies – representing over 85 per cent of global GDP and around three-quarters of the world’s population — to come together and discuss important issues impacting the world,” Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary, Economic Relations at the MEA told reporters.
According to the MEA, Prime Minister Modi will put forth India’s perspectives on the G20 agenda and is expected to speak in all the three sessions of the Summit. These sessions have been titled Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden; A Resilient World – the G20’s Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems; and, A Fair and a Just Future for All: Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence.
“South Africa has identified four key priority areas for its G20 presidency this year: Strengthening disaster resilience and response; ensuring debt sustainability for low-income countries; mobilising finance for a just energy transition; and fourthly, harnessing critical minerals for inclusive growth and sustainable development,” Secretary Dalela told reporters.
–IANS
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