Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a bilateral meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the G20 summit. This was part of India’s extensive diplomatic program during the meeting of world leaders.
The 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit, which began on Friday, is being held on African soil for the first time. Its theme this year is “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”.
On his arrival at the summit venue on Saturday, President Ramaphosa warmly greeted Prime Minister Modi with a “namaste”, symbolizing the close ties between the two nations.
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Global development frameworks
During the opening session of the G20 Leaders’ Meeting the previous day, Modi called on member states to rethink global development frameworks. He also proposed the launch of a G20 initiative to combat the drug-terror nexus, along with the establishment of a global healthcare response unit. His speech emphasized that major global issues require coordinated international efforts.
In a social media post on X, Prime Minister Modi said: “The second session of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg focused on building a resilient world in the face of disasters, climate change and ensuring energy transitions that are as good as robust food systems. India is actively working on all these fronts to build a future that is human-centred and inclusive.”
The Prime Minister also held talks with a number of world figures, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel MacronSouth Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, among others.
After his meeting with british prime ministerPM Modi wrote on X: “It was wonderful meeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Johannesburg. This year has brought new energy to the India-UK partnership and we will continue to take it forward in many areas.”
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In a session titled “A Resilient World – G20 Contribution to Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems’, Modi reiterated India’s focus on a development path that is people-centred, sustainable and inclusive. He noted that India’s approach is closely aligned with global efforts to strengthen resilience to emerging challenges.
Modi subsequently said he had a “great exchange” with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and confirmed that the two nations aim to “diversify bilateral cooperation”. He added that he was “delighted” to meet President Macron and said they “had an engaging exchange on a variety of issues. India-France ties remain a force for global good!”
His interaction with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, their second meeting this year, was described by the prime minister as “a sign of the strong momentum of our special strategic partnership.” Both sides discussed the possibilities of further expansion of economic and investment cooperation.
After meeting the Brazilian president, Modi remarked, “India and Brazil will continue to work closely together to strengthen trade and cultural ties for the benefit of our people.”
Furthermore, there was a “very productive” discussion with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Prime Minister also met with several other leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, ahead of the main G20 meeting.
