KNOW WHY PM MODI's AUSTRIAN VISIT IS SIGNIFICANT

 

What were The Key Highlights of PM Modi’s Participation in G20 and World Reactions?

The G20, formed in 1999, is a group of the world's 20 largest economies that meets regularly to coordinate global policy on trade, health, climate, and other issues. Previous summits have discussed the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2008 financial crisis, the Iranian nuclear programme, and the Syrian civil war.

Bilateral meetings during summits have sometimes led to major international agreements. One of the group's most impressive achievements was its strong response to the 2008 financial crisis. In the 2009 summit, the G20 discussed how to address a secret Iranian nuclear plant. Similarly, the forum debated how to implement a partial ceasefire in Syria at the 2017 summit. But its cohesion has waned since then, and analysts have criticised its sluggish response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABOUT G20

The G20 is not a permanent body with a headquarters, offices, or staff. It is an intergovernmental forum that unites the world's major economies. Its leadership rotates among its members on an annual basis, its decisions are made by consensus, and the implementation of its agenda depends on the political will of individual states. At the end of the Summit, the group issues a joint declaration.

The G20 members include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, the African Union and the European Union. Spain has also been invited as a permanent guest.

'The last G20 Summit, in 2023, was hosted by the Indian G20 Presidency in New Delhi. Under the theme 'One Earth · One Family · One Future', the leaders discussed, among other topics:

•     Russia's war against Ukraine
•     Strong and sustainable growth
•     Sustainable Development Goals
•     Climate and environment
•     Digital Transition
•     Gender equality

                       

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2024 G20 SUMMIT

The 2024 G20 Summit, hosted by Brazil, was held on 18-19 November in Rio de Janeiro. It’s the nineteenth meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20), a meeting of heads of state and government at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. It is the first G20 summit to be held in Brazil.

The main objective of this conference is to strengthen the influence of the Global South in world affairs, discuss economic and financial matters, and coordinate policies on some other issues of mutual interest.

The G20 Rio de Janeiro Declaration, which the leaders endorsed, has addressed most major issues plaguing the world – war, climate change, poverty and hunger, equality, and global governance.

The President of the host country Brazil claims to have succeeded in delivering on its agenda despite differences among leaders on the specifics of the draft and a dissenting opinion from Argentina.

Health ministers from the powerful G-20 nations have vowed to establish alliances for local and regional production to promote more equitable access to “safe, affordable, quality and effective health products and technologies”.  

The G20 Rio Declaration highlights India's regional progress. Between 2014 and 2024, more than 40 million households have been provided with housing, 120 million households now have access to clean water, 100 million households have been provided with clean cooking fuel and more than 115 million households have been provided with toilets. 

India is the first G20 country to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement ahead of schedule. India has already achieved its target of 40% installed power capacity from non-fossil fuels in November 2021. India has achieved 200 GW of capacity under its new target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030.

India has launched the Global Biofuels Coalition and the Waste-to-Energy Campaign in India aimed at minimizing waste and optimizing resource use. India has launched the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure to Address Climate Challenges. India supports the need for sustainable and reliable climate finance for energy transition in the Global South, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

 WHAT DID PM MODI SAY IN THE G-20 SESSION?

 

         Courtesy:PIB 

Prime Minister Modi attended the 19^th G-20 Summit on 18-19 November where he was welcomed with chanting of Sanskrit mantras by Brazilian Vedic scholars. Then, in his presence, men and women of all age groups dressed in traditional Indian attire sang melodious Sanskrit verses.

Afterwards, on his arrival at the Hotel National, PM Modi was given a warm welcome which included a traditional dandiya ceremony by dancers in Gujarati costumes. NRIs greeted him with gifts, waved Indian flags, and showed him photographs to express their excitement about his visit. 

India as a part of the G-20 'Troika' along with Brazil and South Africa, is actively contributing to the G-20 Summit discussions. As a Troika member, India is playing a key role in shaping the agenda, and building on the momentum gained from its Presidency of the G20 last year.

In an address at a session at the G20 Summit, Modi said India's G20 theme of "One Earth, One Family, One Future" was as relevant at the ongoing summit as it was last year. He further said that due to global conflicts, food, fuel, and fertilizer crises have arisen, due to which the countries of the Global South have been badly affected.

He also spoke about the fight against hunger and poverty in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He drew attention in Brazil by saying that 25 crore people have come out of poverty in India in the last 10 years. There has been a reaction to this from Pakistan as well.

"India's successful Presidency last year made the G20 the people's G20 and mainstreamed the priorities of the global South. This year, Brazil has carried forward India's legacy. I look forward to productive discussions in keeping with our vision of 'One Planet, One Family, One Future'."

BILATERAL TALKS WITH WORLD LEADERS

 

At the ongoing G20 Summit in Brazil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral talks with world leaders and raised the voice of the Global South.

In bilateral talks with his counterpart Starmer he pushed up the issue of sending economic offenders like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya back to India. Apart from this, he expressed eagerness to work closely in areas such as technology, green energy, security, innovation, and technology.

Modi briefly interacted with Biden on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in their first exchanges following the US presidential election.

He also met Macron and discussed ways to keep working closely in sectors such as space, energy, and AI.

The Prime Minister also complimented the French President on France's successful hosting of the Olympic Games and the Paralympics in Paris earlier this year.

He met leaders from Brazil, Italy, Indonesia and Portugal, Norway, Chile, Argentina, Egypt, South Korea and discussed ways to deepen ties in sectors such as defense, security, trade and technology.

Modi and Georgia Meloni held wide-ranging talks, including specific initiatives in key areas of defense, trade, clean energy, and connectivity. The two also unveiled an ambitious five-year strategic action plan.

Narendra Modi has also met IMF's Gita Gopinath and European Union's Ursula von der Leyen. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping were seen together on stage in Brazil for the G20 summit, but there has been no official meeting between the two. However, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and the two leaders discussed resuming direct flights between India and China and restarting the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

BRAZIL HAS A DEEP INTEREST IN INDIA’S CULTURE, RELIGION, PERFORMING ARTS AND PHILOSOPHY

There is considerable interest in India's culture, religion, performing arts, and philosophy in Brazil. Organizations such as the Ramakrishna Mission, ISKCON, Sathya Sai Baba, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and the Bhakti Vedanta Foundation have active branches in Brazil.

Ayurveda is also very popular in Brazil and regular conferences and events are organized by the Embassy and the Consulate as well as the Indian Cultural Centre. The first classical art to come to Brazil was the Bharatanatyam dance, with Odissi, Kathak, and Kuchipudi to follow later.

In classical music, Brazil has already a share of those who have learned Sitar, Tabla, and other instruments and not only play some of the original ragas and rhythms but go beyond to create fusion music in conjunction with Brazilian artists. Indian cinema is also popular among Brazilian people. Indian Film Weeks organized by the Embassy and Consulate have always received good responses. 

Indian philosophy and spirituality were among the first aspects of Indian culture to influence Brazil, resonating in the country's colorful folklore traditions and joyous festivals. Vedic scholar Jennifer Scholes says, "When I started studying the Vedas, I realized who I am. Although I am a little nervous, I am happy."

Vedic scholar Jonas Masetti, also known as Acharya Vishwanath, says, "Many people in Brazil are connected to Vedic culture and Indian culture. When they hear mantras for the first time, they feel great joy and peace in their hearts. Many students learn Sanskrit, mantras, and stories from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata."

 

WORLD REACTIONS ON G20 SUMMIT

Brazil's presidency officially began on 1 December 2023, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as its chair. Since then it has been facing continued divisions over the Russian-Ukraine war.

Visiting Scholar Oliver Stuenkel writes that there will be less and less room for broad agreements among the diplomats present at the summit within the G20 context for several reasons. Even if a ceasefire or peace deal is negotiated in Ukraine, the deep distrust between Russia and the West is unlikely to be overcome soon.

As Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Endowment points out, the fight against the US and its allies has become an organising principle of Putin’s reign, one which the Russian president is unlikely to abandon.

Philippe Ricard, Correspondent of Le Monde Newspaper says that Brazilian President Lula wanted to avoid controversial issues such as the war in Ukraine. But the topic plagued the summit, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was invited to attend on the sidelines.

China’s strategy in Rio indicated that it would respond to Trump’s return by presenting itself as a reliable partner, while many expected the United States to return to a somewhat less predictable foreign policy strategy.

Many observers believe the G-20 is struggling to achieve similar success in its goals of coordinating monetary and fiscal policies, achieving high growth, and rooting out corruption and tax evasion. When it comes to climate change, there is also disagreement within the group.

One described the Rio Summit as the “last hurrah” for an order that is destined to undergo significant change without the broad support of the United States.

The group faces persistent differences over trade, climate change, and the war in Ukraine. High and low-income countries have different views on key issues such as climate change, economic growth, and the consequences of the war in Ukraine.

According to Paulo Velasco, an international relations professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, "The declaration avoids pointing the finger at the culprits. That is, it doesn't make any critical mention of Israel or Russia, but it highlights the dramatic humanitarian situations in both cases."

India's dominance was once again seen in the group of the world's 20 largest economies. The pictures that have come out from the G20 show how central position India is getting in the world. India has become a new growth engine for all the countries included in this group.

Praising Narendra Modi, Qamar Cheema, Strategic and Political Analyst of Pakistan said, 'PM Modi of India is meeting the leaders of South Africa, Brazil and Italy as if he has met a Gujarati speaking person in Brazil and there is laughter and jokes going on.’ 

That is, India's position appeared very strong in the world's most powerful group G-20. Narendra Modi has played his cards very beautifully and has presented himself to the world with a complete plan. As a result, Narendra Modi and India are getting a big space in the world.

 

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