New Delhi : As the G20 Summit drew to a close on Sunday, India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, lauded India’s presidency for its ability to influence and guide the global discourse. Jaishankar emphasized that the New Delhi G20 Leaders Declaration demonstrated India’s prowess in presenting innovative ideas, addressing global challenges, bridging differences, and fostering consensus.
In a post on a social media platform, Jaishankar highlighted the Summit’s unwavering focus on the Global South and underscored the contemporary achievements celebrated during the two-day event. He shared, “The G20 Summit and its bilateral meetings concluded today in New Delhi. The New Delhi Declaration shows that our Presidency was able to table ideas, shape global issues, bridge divides, and forge consensus. We kept the focus on the Global South. We showcased our civilizational heritage even as we highlighted contemporary achievements.”
Furthermore, Jaishankar credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary leadership for providing a clear trajectory for growth and development in the coming years. He tweeted, “PM @narendramodi’s vision gave the Summit a clear direction for growth and development in the years ahead.”
Jaishankar also highlighted key outcomes and initiatives resulting from the G20 Summit, including the Green Development Pact, the Action Plan on Sustainable Development Goals, high-level principles on anti-corruption measures, support for digital public infrastructure, and the reform of multilateral development banks. Notably, he praised the inclusion of the African Union as a member of the G20, considering it a significant achievement.
In the G20 declaration adopted on the first day of the Summit, member countries endorsed the G20 Roadmap for Implementing the Recommendations of the G20 Independent Review of Multilateral Development Banks’ Capital Adequacy Frameworks, emphasizing the need for ambitious implementation while safeguarding the banks’ long-term financial sustainability and credit ratings.
Jaishankar expressed his appreciation for the African Union’s inclusion in the G20 membership, a move initiated by Prime Minister Modi during his opening remarks at the 18th G20 Leaders’ Summit. The African Union chairperson, Assoumani, conveyed his gratitude to G20 member countries for this historic inclusion, describing the moment when Prime Minister Modi formally inducted the African Union into the G20 as an emotional and remarkable experience.
“I was about to cry. It was a great emotion for me. Because actually, we thought that there was going to be a debate and then a decision would be taken, but at the very beginning of the Summit, it was announced that we were a member,” he shared.
