G-20 Foreign ministers’ meeting to cover a wide vertical: Foreign Secy

The two-day G-20 Foreign Ministers meeting began on Wednesday and the main discussions will take place on Thursday, March 2. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that the two-day session is the biggest. During ongoing India’s G-20 Presidency, the foreign ministers’ meeting will cover two sub verticals, one related to capitalism, food security and development and the second related to new threat of counter-terrorism, global skill mapping etc.

Kwatra also confirmed that the main session, which will be held at Rashtrapati Bhawan’s Cultural Centre will have two phases which will cover a human-centric approach at its very core.

The first session will focus on three principal sub-items- first, related to multilateralism, second, food and energy security and third, the larger template of developmental cooperation.

While the second session will again focus on four other important issues, new and emerging threats, including the challenges of counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics and other development-oriented sessions. Also, on global skill mapping how the G-20 can put together its efforts to global skill mapping. “Focus on the global talent pool, the question related to humanitarian assistance and disaster risk reduction,” the Indian foreign secretary said.

He further added that the meeting will focus on the larger priorities of India’s G-20 Presidency, the inclusive and resilient group to progress along with an action plan. Further, the entire rubric of green development and sustainable lifestyles.

Also, technological transformation, including the full range of discussions on G-20 society contribute to the concept and specifics of public digital infrastructure. This meeting will also focus on women-led development and international harmony, the senior India bureaucrat confirmed. However, at the same time, Kwatra mentioned while answering media persons here, that though the Russia-Ukraine conflict will be a crucial topic, declined to speculate on whether the G-20 FMM would produce a joint statement over the widening differences between the West and Russia regarding the ongoing conflict. “It would not be correct to prejudge the outcome of the meeting,” the Indian foreign secretary mentioned in a press conference. However, he also said that the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on economic and development cooperation is an important issue.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is also expected to meet his counterparts from other countries. This is the second ministerial meeting during India’s G-20 Presidency. The first ministerial meeting of the finance ministers concluded recently in Bengaluru.

Overall 40 delegations are expected to participate in this meeting — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States. Nine guest countries — Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates — will also take part.

Besides the participation of these countries, this also includes 13 international participants. The theme of India’s G-20 presidency has been “Vasudeva Kutumbakam”, one earth, one family, one future.

“For India, the G-20 presidency also marks the beginning of ‘Amrit Kal’ to lead to the centenary of our independence towards the futuristic, prosperous, inclusive and developed society with a human-centric approach at its very core. This is also the spirit which propelled us to organise the voice of the global South Summit in January earlier this year, with the participation of over 125 countries,” Kwatra also added.