Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday embarked on a three-day visit to South Africa to attend the continent’s first G20 summit. During his stay in Johannesburg, the Prime Minister will also attend the sixth IBSA summit on the sidelines of the G20.
“At the summit, I will present India’s perspective in line with our vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘One Country, One Family and One Future,'” Modi said in his departure statement.
This summit is the fourth consecutive G20 meeting hosted by the Global South, after Indonesia, India and Brazil. Before South Africa, Brazil (2024), India (2023) and Indonesia (2022) held the G20 presidency.
PM Modi will attend the summit from November 21 to 23, marking a major milestone as the first G20 summit to be held on the African continent. This will be Prime Minister Modi’s fourth official visit to South Africa after his bilateral visit in 2016 and his participation in two BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
The G20 is an important forum, countries in previous meetings have agreed to a consensus statement, a pilot project and the adoption of new initiatives on several topics that impact the Global South, Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (ER) in the Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters.
“We are very pleased that these discussions have continued under the presidency of Brazil and of course in South Africa in the four areas that South Africa has outlined for its own presidency. During the year there have been a number of achievements in various areas in these areas. So we are very pleased that issues of importance to the Global South are at the center of the discussion and are being highlighted,” he said.
what’s on the agenda
The theme of this year’s G20 was “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability”, which South Africa carried over from previous summits held in Delhi, India and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Prime Minister said in a statement.
The G20 includes major economies representing 85% of global GDP and 75% of international trade. The Forum identified priority areas under the theme of the South African Presidency “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”.
Regarding the bilateral meetings to be held on the sidelines of the G20, Minister Dalela said they are in the process of organizing them.
He added that India and South Africa are democracies and their cooperation has three pillars, one of which is political cooperation. The African Union, which became a permanent member of the G20 during India’s 2023 chairmanship, will play a key role in shaping the agenda of the summit.
PM to speak in three sessions
PM Modi to present India’s views on G20 agenda. The prime minister is expected to address all three sessions of the summit, a government statement said. These sessions are on:
1). Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth That Leaves No One Behind: Building Our Economies; the role of trade; development financing and debt burden
2) Resilient World – G20 Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate change; Only energy transitions; Food systems
3). A fair and just future for all: critical minerals; Decent work; Artificial intelligence
At the Summit, I will present India’s perspective in line with our vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘One Country, One Family and One Future’.
On the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit, PM Modi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with some of the officials present in Johannesburg. The Prime Minister will also attend the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders’ Meeting hosted by the Republic of South Africa.
