Modi’s emphasis on global unity at the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting
The meeting of the G20 foreign ministers started on Thursday, March 2 in the Indian capital, Delhi. The meeting’s agenda includes the climate crisis, food security and debt relief for poor countries, but the Ukraine war will dominate.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Thursday, urging the United Nations to focus on common ground in this era of division.
In his address, he said, “We must not allow these problems to stand in the way of our jointly solving them.”
The Ukraine war took precedence in the meeting
In this meeting of 19 countries of the world and the European Union, Russia’s attack on Ukraine will probably be the most important topic of discussion.
There is concern in the West that China is considering supplying arms to Moscow. Western delegates are expected to use the summit to dissuade Beijing from intervening in the war, which has now entered its second year.
Host India has refused to condemn the Russian attack and has been pushing for dialogue to end the conflict. This situation has put New Delhi in an awkward position vis-a-vis Western countries. However, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said he was confident that “India will convince Russia that this war must end.”
“The success of today’s meeting will be judged by what we can do about it,” Borrell told reporters. Borrell is also scheduled to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang during this meeting.
China’s state news agency Xinhua quoted top diplomat Wang Yi as saying last week that Beijing was ready to “strengthen strategic ties” with Russia after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Is.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blanken said that he has no plans to meet privately with his Russian counterpart Lavrov. The two leaders last met at the G20 summit in Bali, where officials say Lavrov hurled verbal abuse.
Blanken said, “If Russia, President Putin, is genuinely willing to engage in the meaningful diplomacy necessary to end aggression, then of course we will work to engage first, but There is no evidence.”
German Foreign Minister Annalina Bierbock said in a statement last week, “One year after the start of the Russian aggression, an overwhelming majority of nations at the United Nations General Assembly have condemned this barbaric war.
What else is on the agenda for the Delhi meeting?
Other topics of discussion at the meeting include environmental crisis, food, energy and fertilizer security.
“The G20 was created to bring hope to the world and to solve the most pressing problems we face. That’s why I came to Delhi to advance Germany’s priorities,” said Annalina Bierbock. are working on a solution to the crisis as many countries are at risk of collapse due to heavy debt burdens.
India had wanted the G20 under its presidency this year to focus on issues like poverty alleviation and environmental finance, but the war in Ukraine has sidelined those issues.
G20 finance ministers met in Bangalore last week, but because of a lack of consensus on Russia, a “presidential statement and outcome document” was issued instead of a joint statement.