India is hosting the G20 summit at a crucial juncture as the world remains divided between two blocs – the West and Russia-China – due to the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.
The recently concluded G20 finance ministers meeting showed how India has been forced to walk a tightrope because China and Russia expressed reservations regarding para 3 and para 4 of the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration, 2022.
The para four of the declaration states India’s stance on the war which calls for a diplomatic resolution and underlines that this is not “an era of war”.
However, in Bengaluru, the Chinese and Russian delegations did not agree with the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration paras 3 and 4 and India had to come up with the chair’s summary.
The representatives of China and Russia did not agree with paras 3 and 4 because it contains the word “war” – Russia says it is conducting a “military operation” to “de-Nazify” Ukraine.
People familiar with the developments said that India’s balanced position contributed to finalise the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration and its endeavour was to ensure that all parties reached a similar consensus following the meeting in Bengaluru, which was then expressed through the chair’s summary.
The chair’s summary comes with a footnote: “Paragraphs 3 and 4 of this document, as taken from the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration (15-16 November 2022), were agreed to by all member countries except Russia and China.”
However, there are questions still being raised over India’s position on whether or not it will stick to the language used in the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration.
The Union ministry of external affairs spokesperson asked the media to question Russia and China regarding their reservations. “You need to ask them (Russia, China) about why exactly or why they no longer support the earlier text. We stand by the text of the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration since our Prime Minister attended that event and we signed on the declaration and our contribution was appreciated,” MEA spokesperson said.
Another person familiar with the developments cited concern that even though the conflict in Ukraine is important it should not overshadow issues like counterterrorism, narco-terrorism and issues related to food and energy security.
The people mentioned above also said that since it is India’s presidency there is an opportunity to set the agenda on tackling crucial issues like climate change, sustainable development and energy security among other issues.
Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra on Wednesday expressed the same concerns while addressing the media. He said: “What we expect from tomorrow’s foreign minister meeting is a very clear, strong and all-encompassing message on the problem of terrorism and the need for G20 countries to fight against it together. (The) larger challenge of counter-terrorism and narco-terrorism will be in focus.”
He said he doesn’t want to prejudge the outcome of the meeting before it has taken place. “Given the developing situation of Russia-Ukraine conflict, naturally, it’ll be an important point of discussion during the Foreign Ministers’ meetings. Foreign ministers will be focusing on the situation in Ukraine and it’ll be important to see the outcomes of the discussions. Let the leaders decide.”
Indian diplomats have reminded world leaders who remain divided over the Russia-Ukraine conflict and question India’s position that India has urged all stakeholders to walk the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
On several occasions, they have reiterated their leaders’ stance by repeating his statement: “This is not an era of war”. This has helped bridge the gap and continues to help build a common consensus.
The foreign ministers’ meeting also comes at a time when tensions between China and the US have grown following the spy balloon fiasco. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will not meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov or Chinese counterpart Qin Gang on the sidelines of the summit.
Jaishankar to Meet Chinese counterpart Qin Gang
Union minister for external affairs S Jaishankar will also hold multiple bilateral meetings with his counterparts. People familiar with the developments said he will hold meetings with 39 counterparts and he will also meet Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang.
There is no clarity regarding the foreign ministers of Quad members meeting due to the absence of Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese foreign minister. Possibilities are being explored whether he will be able to join virtually.
There is also a possibility that Kenji Yamada, the vice foreign minister, could attend the meeting as his substitute.
There have been requests from several delegations for arranging a meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the requests are being taken seriously at a governmental level.
The foreign secretary Kwatra said that Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar will chair two sessions tomorrow.
The first session will focus on the issues related to food and energy security and the second session will focus on threats emerging from terrorism and narcotics.
Discussions centred around global skill mapping and talent pools will also be held.
He said over 40 delegations consisting of G20 as well as non-G20 members will participate in tomorrow’s meeting.
The meeting will kick-off with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing the delegations present. PM Modi will discuss India’s global influence during his address at the foreign ministers’ meeting on Wednesday while also focusing on green development, sustainable lifestyle, technology and women-led development.
The G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will begin with a gala dinner at Rajbagh Lawns of Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi on Wednesday evening. This will be followed by the ministerial meeting tomorrow at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Center.
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