At the Bali summit of world leaders, India officially received the presidency of the G20 group for a one-year period. As the Modi government works to host the next summit, it will to showcase India as a strong economy and stable democracy
Our Bureau
Bali (Indonesia)
At the closing ceremony of G20 summit here on Wednesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo officially handed over the G20 Presidency to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who said that India’s G20 presidency will be ” inclusive, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented.”
This G20 became special as India officially received the presidency of the G20 Summit and will assume office from 1st December 2022 for a one-year period.
While giving his address in the closing ceremony of G20 Summit, PM Modi said, “India’s G20 presidency will be inclusive, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented. In the next year, it will be our endeavor that G20 works as a global prime mover to give impetus to collective action.”
Talking further about India’s presidency of the G20 summit, PM Modi said that the country is taking charge of the G-20 at a time when the world is simultaneously grappling with geopolitical tensions, economic slowdown, rising food and energy prices, and the long-term ill effects of the pandemic. And at that time “world is looking at the G-20 with hope,” he added.
In the closing ceremony, Prime Minister said that the member countries have to extend the benefits of development to all human beings with compassion and solidarity. He also said that without women, global development is not possible.
“We have to maintain priority on women-led development even in our G-20 agenda. Without peace and security, our future generations will not be able to take advantage of economic growth or technological innovation,” PM Modi said.
“The G-20 has to convey a strong message in favor of peace and harmony. All these priorities are fully embodied in the theme of India’s G-20 Chairmanship – “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” he added.
He also said that India will strive to take forward Indonesia’s commendable initiatives during its G-20 Presidency. “It is a proud occasion for every Indian to assume the G-20 Presidency. We will organize G-20 meetings in different cities and states of our country. Our guests will get full experience of India’s amazing diversity, inclusive traditions, and cultural richness. We wish that all of you will participate in this unique celebration in India, the Mother of Democracy. Together, we will make the G-20, a catalyst for global change,” Pm Modi said.
In an important move, Modi’s “today’s era isn’t of war” message to Russian president Vladimir Putin in the backdrop of the Ukraine-Russia conflict became part of the outcome statement of the G20 joint declaration at Bali in Indonesia. During a special briefing, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “PM Modi’s message that “era not of war” resonated very deeply across all delegations and helped bridge the gap across different parties.”
Kwatra said, “India played a key role in the successful negotiations of the outcome document.”
The foreign secretary said that PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged courtesies at the G20 dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali, Indonesia. Both the leaders exchanged pleasantries at the high-profile dinner. Earlier, Modi arrived at the mangrove forest in Bali and was greeted upon his arrival by Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo.
In Bali, Modi also held a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed different topics to strengthen ties between India and Germany in various sectors, including trade, finance and security. According to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs, it was the third meeting between the two leaders this year. The statement further said that Modi and Scholz discussed bilateral cooperation between India and Germany, which entered a new phase with the signing of the partnership on Green and Sustainable Development by the PM and Chancellor during the Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC).
Narendra Modi also held a meeting with Singapore’s counterpart Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the immense scope for strengthening ‘India-Singapore cooperation’ in emerging areas, including green economy and solar energy. Narendra Modi and Lee Hsien Loong also spoke about ways to boost trade and cultural linkages between the two nations.
Earlier, the Indian Prime Minister also held a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Bali. The two leaders had “fruitful deliberations” on various issues, Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet. Modi and Macron discussed how the two nations can strengthen defense ties and boost sustainable growth.
Sharing details regarding Modi’s meeting with Macron, Prime Minister’s Office tweeted, “PM @narendramodi and President @EmmanuelMacron held talks at the @g20org Summit in Bali. They had fruitful deliberations on a variety of subjects. The two leaders discussed how to enhance defense ties, further sustainable growth and increase economic cooperation.”
In an important development, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has given the go-ahead for 3,000 visas for young professionals from India to work in the UK each year.
This announcement in the Downing Street readout came hours after Sunak met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 17th edition of the G20 Summit. This was their first meeting after the first Indian-origin British PM assumed office last month.
“Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @RishiSunak in conversation during the first day of the @g20org Summit in Bali,” PM Modi’s Office said in a tweet.
The British government said India is the first visa-national country to benefit from such a scheme, highlighting the strength of the UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership agreed last year. “Today the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme was confirmed, offering 3,000 places to 18-30-year-old degree-educated Indian nationals to come to the UK to live and work for up to two years,” the UK Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet.
Under the new UK-India Young Professionals Scheme, the UK will offer 3,000 places annually to 18-30-year-old degree-educated Indian nationals to come to the UK to live and work in UK for up to two years. The scheme will be reciprocal.
“The launch of the scheme is a significant moment both for our bilateral relationship with India and the UK’s wider commitment to forging stronger links with the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen both our economies,” Downing Street said in a statement.
It said the UK has more links with India than almost any country in the Indo-Pacific region. Nearly a quarter of all international students in the UK are from India, and Indian investment into the UK supports 95,000 jobs across the UK.
The UK is currently negotiating a trade deal with India – if agreed it will be the first deal of its kind India has made with a European country. The trade deal would build on the UK-India trading relationship, already worth 24 billion pounds, and allow the UK to seize the opportunities presented by India’s growing economy.
In parallel to the mobility partnership with India, the British government said it is also strengthening its ability to remove immigration offenders.
“A landmark Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the UK and India in May 2021 aimed at increasing mobility between our countries, returning those with no right to be in the UK and India respectively and sharing best practice on organized immigration crime,” the UK PMO added.
