New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning reached the G20 Summit venue Bharat Mandapam here ahead of the two-day meeting of the top world leaders scheduled to begin later in the day.
He was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, among other officials.
Modi welcomed the G20 leaders upon their arrival at the venue, while the first key summit is expected to start at 10.30 am. The three main summits are based on themes of One Earth, One Family and One Future.
India is hosting the G20 Summit, scheduled for today and tomorrow, under its Presidency amid divisions in the grouping over the Russia-Ukraine war.
World leaders including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japan PM Fumio Kishida, Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are among leaders who arrived in the national capital yesterday.
The summit is being attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.
The theme of this year’s G20 Summit, which is taking place under India’s presidency is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth · One Family · One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganisms – and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.
After the conclusion of the ‘One Earth’ session, and followed by lunch, another session of ‘One Family’ would be conducted at 3 pm as a part of the Summit.
At around 7 pm there will be a dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu. Besides, the foreign delegates parliamentarians and ministers in the current Cabinet, the G20 Summit dinner will be attended by some of the former senior leaders of the nation Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be taking part in the weekend summit. China, however, will be represented at the summit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Russia.
This is the first time that the G20 Summit is being hosted by India. Extensive preparations have been made to portray India’s traditions and strengths.
During the presidency, India has focused on various issues like inclusive growth, digital innovation, climate resilience, and equitable global health access.
By leveraging its presidency, India is fostering collaborative solutions that benefit its own population and contribute to the broader global well-being.
The countries taking part in the G20 Summit include Nigeria, Argentina, Italy, the AU (represented by Comros), and South Africa. Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Japan Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Egypt, Australia, the United States, Canada, China, UAE, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey Spain, Germany, France, Mauritius, the European Union and Singapore.
A warm welcome was accorded to leaders who arrived in Delhi for the G20 Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing confidence that the gathering of world leaders will chart a new path in human-centric and inclusive development.
(with inputs from ANI)
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