Express News Service
NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration is almost ready and will be recommended to the heads of government of nations attending the G20 Summit, said India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Friday.
“The New Delhi leaders’ declaration is almost ready. I would not like to dwell on it. This declaration will be recommended to the leaders and only after they accept it will we be able to talk about its achievements,” Kant said a day ahead of the G20 Summit.
The declaration will have the voice of the Global South and developing countries.
“No other document in the world would have such a strong voice for the Global South and developing countries,” Kant said, adding that the challenges the world faced post the last G20 were massive.
When India took over the G20 Presidency in Bali last year, it was in the midst of a scenario of slowing growth and productivity worldwide. The pandemic followed by the conflict in Ukraine had a telling effect on most economies of the world – with issues like food security.
PM Modi thereby focused on India’s Presidency being inclusive, decisive, ambitious and action-oriented, he said.
“The G20 Summit is just a day away and the anticipation in India is electric. The stage is set and the spotlight is on New Delhi where G20 leaders will unite to define our shared future,” said Kant.
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Most leaders have already arrived in Delhi. While there will be a lot of deliberations on various issues, the focal point where differences are likely to emerge is the conflict in Ukraine.
In a briefing held on Friday, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, criticised Russia and blamed it for the conflict in Ukraine, thereby indicating that there would be a lot of debate on Ukraine during the Summit.
There are three global challenges taking centre stage — the first is the war in Ukraine, the second is fighting climate change and the third is fair financing, he said, adding that multileralism and solidarity is the only way forward.
“The Kremlin is weaponizing food, hurting the most vulnerable. Russia must allow ships with much needed grain to navigate in the Black Sea. The EU is providing alternative export routes through our solidarity lanes,” Michel said, adding that by transforming the Black Sea into a battlefield, Russia is again shooting a food missile against developing countries, which he labelled as ‘scandalous’.
Two days back, an EU official had stated that Ukraine will dominate discussions during the G20 Summit.
With the leaders divided on Russia and in the absence of President Putin, it will be challenging to arrive at a consensus on the conflict in Ukraine – which is key to coming out with a joint declaration.
