North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un recently made a rare weeklong visit to Russia and had a meeting with the president of the former Soviet Union nation Vladimir Putin.
EAM Jaishankar with representatives of the Quad countries, namely Yoko Kamikawa, Penny Wong and Antony Blinken. Credit: X/ @DrSJaishankar
After persuading the West to accept the G20 Delhi Declaration without a word of condemnation for Russia for its military aggression against Ukraine, India has joined the United States, Japan and Australia to tacitly ask Russia to refrain from clinching any arms transfer deal with North Korea.
The foreign ministers of Quad – a four-nation coalition comprising India, Japan, Australia and the United States – sent out a message to Russia, urging all member states of the United States to abide by the Security Council resolutions prohibiting “the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related materiel”.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar joined his Japanese, Australian and American counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa, Penny Wong and Antony Blinken, for a meeting of the Quad on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy and Russian Ambassador Nebenzia clashed at a UN Security Council meeting on Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Albanian Prime Minister Rama made a sarcastic remark, and Zelenskiy called for Russia to be stripped of its veto right.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a high level Security Council meeting during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Wednesday. (AP)
It was Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy’s first in-person appearance at a UN Security Council meeting on Moscow’s invasion of his country when Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia objected to him taking the floor at the start of the meeting, according to Reuters reports.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama responded with a gibe at Moscow, which has long said the invasion does not amount to war but was a mere “special military operation”.
“I want to assure our Russian colleagues and everyone here that this is not a special operation by the Albanian presidency,” Rama, known for a piercing sense of humor, said to muted laughter across the room, Reuters reported.
Addressing Nebenzia directly at the meeting, Rama said, “There is a solution for this. If you agree, you stop the war and President Zelenskiy will not take the floor.”
However, Nebenzia did not agree and went on to say the session was a show. He criticized Rama for what he said was making politically charged statements rather than acting as a neutral guardian of procedure.
After the session, the Ukrainian PM expressed gratitude to Rama on social media, saying the Albanian showed the world how to correctly handle Russia along with its lies and hypocrisy.
Azerbaijan claimed full control of the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region Wednesday after local Armenian forces there agreed to lay down their weapons following the latest outbreak of fighting in the decades-long separatist conflict.
Authorities in the ethnic Armenian region that has run its affairs without international recognition since fighting broke out in the early 1990s declared around midday that local self-defense forces will disarm and disband under a Russia-mediated cease-fire.
They also said representatives of the region will start talks Thursday with the Baku government on Nagorno-Karabakh’s “reintegration” into Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev trumpeted victory in a televised address to the nation, saying that “in just one day, Azerbaijan fulfilled all the tasks set as part of local anti-terrorist measures” and “restored its sovereignty.”
On Tuesday, the Azerbaijan army unleashed an artillery barrage and drone attacks against outnumbered and undersupplied pro-Armenian forces, which have been weakened by a blockade of the region in the southern Caucasus Mountains that is recognized internationally as being part of Azerbaijan.
Nagorno-Karabakh human rights ombudsman Gegham Stepanyan said at least 200 people, including 10 civilians, were killed and more than 400 others were wounded in the fighting. He said earlier that children were among the dead and wounded.
His casualty figures could not immediately be independently verified.
The hostilities worsened an already grim humanitarian situation for residents who have endured food and medicine shortages for months as Azerbaijan enforced a blockade of the road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia.
Thousands of Nagorno-Karabakh residents flocked to a camp operated by Russian peacekeepers to avoid the fighting, while many others gathered at the airport of the regional capital, Stepanakert, hoping to flee the region.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a speech to the nation that fighting decreased following the truce, emphasizing that Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh are fully responsible for its residents security.
“If peacekeepers have proposed a peace deal, it means that they completely and without any reservations accepted the responsibility of ensuring the security of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, and provide the conditions and the rights for them to live on their land and in their homes safely,” he said.
Pashinyan, who has previously recognized Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Nagorno-Karabakh, said Armenia wouldn’t be drawn into the fighting. He said his government didn’t take part in negotiating the deal, but “has taken note” of the decision made by the region’s separatist authorities.
He again denied any Armenian troops were in the region, even though separatist authorities said they were in Nagorno-Karabakh and would pull out as part of the truce.
Protesters rallied in the Armenian capital of Yerevan for a second straight day Wednesday, blocking streets and demanding that authorities defend Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. was “deeply concerned” about Azerbaijan’s military actions. “We have repeatedly emphasized the use of force is absolutely unacceptable,” he said, adding that the U.S. was closely watching the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. And the U.N. Security Council scheduled an urgent meeting Thursday on the Azerbaijani offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh at the request of France.
Azerbaijan’s move to reclaim control over Nagorno-Karabakh raised concerns that a full-scale war in the region could resume between the two neighbors, which have been locked in a struggle over Nagorno-Karabakh since a separatist war there ended in 1994.
During another war that lasted for six weeks in 2020, Azerbaijan reclaimed broad swaths of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent territories that were held for decades by Armenian forces. More than 6,700 people died in the fighting, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace agreement. Moscow deployed about 2,000 peacekeeping troops to the region.
The conflict has long drawn in powerful regional players, including Russia and Turkey. While Russia took on the mediating role, Turkey threw its weight behind longtime ally Azerbaijan.
Russia has been Armenia’s main economic partner and ally since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and has a military base in the country.
Pashinyan, however, has been increasingly critical of Moscow’s role, emphasizing its failure to protect Nagorno-Karabakh and arguing that Armenia needs to turn to the West to ensure its security. Moscow, in turn, has expressed dismay about Pashinyan’s pro-Western tilt.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Pashinyan on Wednesday, welcoming the deal to end the hostilities and start talks between Azerbaijani officials and representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said some of its peacekeepers were killed Wednesday, although it didn’t say how many and whether it happened before or after the start of the cease-fire. The ministry said the peacekeeping contingent had evacuated more than 3,100 civilians.
It was a moment the diplomatic world was watching for — but didn’t get.
In the end, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov avoided staring each other down Wednesday across the U.N. Security Council’s famous horseshoe-shaped table. Zelenskyy left before Lavrov arrived.
The near-miss was somewhat to be expected. Yet the moment still spoke to the U.N.’s role as a venue where warring nations can unleash their ire through words instead of weapons. The choreography also underscored the world body’s reputation as a place where adversaries sometimes literally talk past each other.
Zelenskyy denounced Russia as “a terrorist state” while Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia sat facing him near the other end of the table’s arc. As Zelenskyy launched into his remarks, the Russian looked at his phone, then tucked the device away.
Zelenskyy left before Lavrov’s arrival, which came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was accusing Russia of having “shredded” key provisions of the U.N. Charter.
Lavrov, in turn, reiterated his country’s claims that Kyiv has oppressed Russian speakers in eastern areas, violating the U.N. charter and getting a pass on it from the U.S. and other western countries. Across the table was Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, his eyes on his phone during at least parts of Lavrov’s remarks. (Blinken, for his part, took handwritten notes.)
If there was no finger-pointing face-off, the atmosphere was decidedly prickly.
Before Zelenskyy’s arrival, Nebenzia objected to a speaking order that put the Ukrainian president before the council’s members, including Russia. (Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, the meeting chair, retorted: “You stop the war, and President Zelenskyy will not take the floor.”)
Zelenskyy had been in the same room, but hardly eye to eye, with a Russian diplomat during the Ukrainian leader’s speech Tuesday in the vast hall of the U.N. General Assembly, which this week is holding its annual meeting of top-level leaders. (Russian Deputy Ambassador Dmitry Polyansky later said, wryly, that he’d been focusing on his phone and “didn’t notice” Zelenskyy’s address.) Before that, Zelenskyy last encountered a Russian official at a 2019 meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for a rare summit on Wednesday at which they discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and possible Russian help for the secretive state’s satellite programme.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un during a meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, September 13. Sputnik/Vladimir Smirnov Acquire Licensing Rights
Putin showed Kim around Russia’s most advanced space rocket launch site in Russia’s Far East and discussed the possibility of sending a North Korean cosmonaut into space. Kim, who arrived by train from North Korea, asked detailed questions about rockets as Putin showed him around the Vostochny Cosmodrome.
After the tour, Putin, 70, and Kim, 39, held talks for several hours with their ministers and then discussed world affairs and possible areas of cooperation one-on-one, followed by an opulent lunch of Russian “pelmeni” dumplings stuffed with Kamchatka crab and then sturgeon with mushrooms and potatoes.
Kim raised a toast with a glass of Russian wine to Putin’s health, to the victory of “great Russia” and to Korean-Russian friendship, predicting victory for Moscow in its “sacred fight” with the West in the Ukraine war.
“The Russian army and people will certainly win a great victory in the sacred struggle for the punishment of a great evil that claims hegemony and feeds an expansionist illusion,” Kim said, raising his glass.
U.S. and South Korean officials have expressed concern that Kim could provide weapons and ammunition to Russia, which has expended vast stocks in more than 18 months of war in Ukraine. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied such intentions.
Putin gave numerous hints that military cooperation was discussed but disclosed few details. Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attended the talks. The Kremlin said sensitive discussions between neighbours were a private matter.
When asked by Russian media if Moscow would help Kim build satellites, Putin said: “That’s why we came here.”
Washington warned it would implement further sanctions over any weapons transfers by either country to the other, and said Putin was “begging” Kim for help after losing tens of thousands of troops in Ukraine.
“We have taken a number of actions already to sanction entities that brokered arms sales between North Korea and Russia, and we won’t hesitate to impose additional sanctions if appropriate,” U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a briefing.
He called it “troubling” that Russia would discuss cooperation with North Korea on programs that potentially would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres signalled Moscow had to tread carefully.
“Any form of cooperation of any country with North Korea must respect the sanctions regime that was imposed by the Security Council,” Guterres told reporters, adding that it was “extremely relevant” in the case of Russia and North Korea.
For Russia, the summit was an opportunity to needle the United States, the big power supporter of Ukraine, though it was unclear just how far Putin was prepared to go in fulfilling any North Korean wish lists for technology.
Putin said Kim now planned to visit military and civilian aviation factories in the Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur and to inspect Russia’s Pacific fleet in Vladivostok.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Pyongyang for more talks next month, the Kremlin said.
Putin accepted an invition from Kim to visit North Korea in the future, the North’s state news agency KCNA reported.
‘COMRADES’
Putin and Kim called each other “comrades” at lunch and Putin repeatedly reminded Kim that it was the Soviet Union that backed North Korea – and was first to recognise it just over 75 years to the day since it was established.
Amid the Ukraine war, which has become a grinding artillery war of attrition, the United States and Kyiv’s other allies are watching to see if Kim’s visit paves the way for a supply of artillery shells to Russia.
Britain urged North Korea to end arms talks with Russia and said Kim’s visit showed how isolated Moscow has become on the world stage.
But the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, told Ukraine’s NV Radio that North Korea had already been supplying Russia with weapons for more than a month.
“It was already a month and a half ago that everything was agreed and shipments began from North Korea,” he said without giving further details.
Russia has joined China in opposing new sanctions on North Korea, blocking a U.S.-led push and publicly splitting the U.N. Security Council for the first time since it started punishing Pyongyang in 2006.
Asked about military cooperation, Putin said Russia complied with international rules but that there were opportunities to explore.
The choice to meet at Vostochny Cosmodrome – a symbol of Russia’s ambitions as a space power – was notable, as North Korea has twice failed to launch reconnaissance satellites in the past four months.
After showing Kim around a building where the Angara, Russia’s new 42.7-metre space launch rocket, is assembled, Putin said Kim had shown a “great interest in rocket engineering” during the visit.
Ahead of his meeting with Putin, Kim signed the visitor book in Korean: “The glory to Russia, which gave birth to the first space conquerors, will be immortal.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin with Prime Minister Narendra Modi File
President Vladimir Putin has praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and said Russia can emulate the success stories of its partners like India in promoting the growth of its domestic industries.
Putin made these remarks on Tuesday while speaking at the Plenary session of the 8th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, a major port city in sanctions-hit Russia’s Far East region.
While responding to a question on Russian-made cars, Putin said, “You know, we did not have domestically made cars then, but we do now. It is true that they look more modest than Mercedes or Audi cars, which we bought in vast amounts in the 1990s, but this is not an issue. I think that we should emulate many of our partners, for example, India.”
Prime Minister Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ campaign in 2014 to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, protect intellectual property & build best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure.
The “Make in India” initiative is based on four pillars, which have been identified to give a boost to entrepreneurship in India, not only in manufacturing but also in other sectors.
“They are focused on the manufacture and use of Indian-made vehicles. I think that Prime Minister Modi is doing the right thing in promoting the Make in India programme. He is right,” the Russian leader said.
He further added that it is absolutely fine to use Russian-made automobiles.
“We have (Russian-made) automobiles, and we must use them; this is absolutely fine. This will not lead to any infringements of our WTO obligations, absolutely not. It will concern state purchases. We must create a certain chain regarding what cars different classes of officials can drive so that they will use domestically-made cars.” Putin also said that the ‘India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor’ (IMEC) will in no way affect Russia in fact it will benefit the country.
The IMEC was launched during the G20 Summit in New Delhi. On Saturday, the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was jointly announced by the leaders of the US, India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union on the sidelines of the summit in New Delhi.
Putin did not personally attend the G20 summit because of his “busy schedule”.
“I think it is for our good; it will help us develop logistics,” Putin said while responding to a question about if the IMEC initiative will affect the implementation of Russia’s and Chinese projects and what it means for Russia in general.
Abhay Thakur, Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur, Eenam Gambhi, and Ashish Sinha from the Ministry of External Affairs played pivotal roles in bringing the world leaders on the same page at G20. These diplomats faced a daunting challenge, enduring 200 hours of gruelling negotiations, resulting in the G20 Delhi Declaration.
4 Diplomats, 200 Hours Of Non-Stop Negotiations And Historic G20 Delhi Declaration
India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, commends the tireless efforts of four dedicated diplomats who spearheaded the monumental task of securing 100% consensus among global leaders. These diplomats faced a daunting challenge, enduring 200 hours of gruelling negotiations, resulting in the G20 Delhi Declaration.
Behind closed doors, the Indian diplomatic team engaged in 300 bilateral meetings and circulated 15 draft proposals concerning the Ukraine conflict, a contentious issue among world leaders. The unwavering dedication of Indian foreign service diplomats bore fruit as consensus was achieved. Abhay Thakur, Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur, Eenam Gambhi, and Ashish Sinha from the Ministry of External Affairs played pivotal roles in bringing the world leaders on the same page at G20.
The G20 members unanimously adopted the Delhi Declaration, which called on nations to uphold territorial integrity and not use force to grab territory.
Marking the ceremonial transfer of the G20 presidency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today handed over the gavel to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who praised India for giving voice to topics of interests of emerging economies.
Here are 10 points about this big story:
“Yesterday, we had wide-ranging discussions in the ‘One Earth, One Family’ sessions. I am satisfied that today the G20 has become a platform for optimistic efforts regarding the vision of One Earth, One Family, One Future,” PM Modi said in his closing remarks today.
Lula da Silva congratulated PM Modi, and listed social inclusion, the fight against hunger, energy transition and sustainable development as G20 priorities. He said the UN Security Council needs new developing countries as permanent, non-permanent members to regain political strength. “We want greater representation for emerging countries at the World Bank and the IMF,” he said.
The big takeaway of the Summit were a call to end the “global trust deficit”, the launch of the Global Biofuel Alliance, and the launch of new connectivity networks between the US, India, Saudi Arabia, and Gulf states.
The G20 members unanimously adopted the Delhi Declaration, which called on nations to uphold territorial integrity and international humanitarian law to safeguard peace and stability.
“We call on all states to uphold the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system that safeguards peace and stability,” the declaration said.
China and Russia, whose heads of state skipped the Summit, were also in agreement with the Delhi declaration. But while the declaration called on all states to not use force to grab territory, it avoided condemning Russia for the war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s foreign ministry said the declaration was “nothing to be proud of”, adding that a Ukrainian presence would have given participants a better understanding of the situation.
The bloc also said that they will aim to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030 and expedite efforts to phase down coal power in line with national circumstances but did not commit to a phase-out of all polluting fossil fuels, including oil and gas.
The bloc, which represents 85 per cent of the world’s GDP and contributes 80 per cent of emissions, however, said it will uphold its 2009 promise made in Pittsburgh to eliminate and rationalise inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
G20 Summit 2023 Highlights: Following the conclusion of the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi, which was widely termed as “successful” by analysts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the presidency gavel to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
G20 Summit 2023 Delhi Highlights: Modi and Lula also held a bilateral meeting, where they agreed to work together for the expansion of India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement during Brazil’s MERCOSUR Presidency, to leverage the full potential of their economic partnership.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, met in New Delhi on September 10, at the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
Following the conclusion of the two-day G20 summit in New Delhi, which was widely termed as “successful” by analysts, Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the presidency gavel to Brazilian PresidentLuiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two leaders also held a bilateral meeting, where they agreed to work together for the expansion of India-MERCOSUR Preferential Trade Agreement during Brazil’s MERCOSUR Presidency, to leverage the full potential of their economic partnership. Read more
Brazilian president says Russian leader will be invited to the G20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, left, shakes hands with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia, on May 14, 2010 [File: Alexei Druzhinin/Ria Novosti via Reuters]Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not be arrested in Brazil if he attends the Group of 20 meeting in Rio de Janeiro next year.
Lula, speaking to the Firstpost news show at the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Delhi on Saturday, said Putin would be invited to next year’s event.
He added that he himself planned to attend a BRICS bloc of developing nations meeting due in Russia before the Rio meeting.
“I believe that Putin can go easily to Brazil,” Lula said. “What I can say to you is that if I’m president of Brazil, and he comes to Brazil, there’s no way he will be arrested.”
The statement comes after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Putin in March, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Russia has denied its forces have engaged in war crimes or forcibly taken Ukrainian children.
Putin has repeatedly skipped international gatherings and was not present at the G20 get-together in Delhi, sending Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Brazil is a signatory to the Rome Statute which led to the founding of the ICC.
Lula’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Saturday, the G20 nations adopted a consensus declaration that avoided condemning Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states not to use force to grab territory.
The consensus came as a surprise as the G20 is deeply divided over the war in Ukraine, with Western nations earlier pushing for strong condemnation of Russia in the Leaders’ Declaration, while others demanded a focus on broader economic issues.
Turkish President Erdogan supports India as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and proposes a rotational membership system.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (HT Photo)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan backed India as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and proposed a ‘rotational’ membership mechanism. Addressing the media after the G20 Summit on Sunday, the senior politician noted that the world was ‘larger than five’. The remarks came mere hours after US President Joe Biden reaffirmed his support for a reformed UNSC with India as a permanent member.
“A country like India being there on the UN Security Council, we would be proud. But as you now, the world is bigger than larger than five. And when we say the world is larger than five, what we mean is that it’s not only about the US, UK, France, China and Russia…What we say is all of them, we should only have permanent members,” Erdogan said.
He also called for a ‘rotational system’ that would see all 195 member countries potentially becoming a member.
India hosts G20 Summit in Delhi, adopts New Delhi Leadership Declaration, announces India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, and inducts African Union as permanent member.
An armed security personnel stands guard near a G20 India summit logo installed along a street in New Delhi on September 6, 2023, ahead of its commencement. (Photo by Tauseef MUSTAFA / AFP) (AFP)
India is hosting the 18th Group of 20 or G20 Summit in national capital Delhi. The G20 leaders saw a productive day 1 on Saturday, 9 September. The important decisions taken on the first day of the G20 Summit included adoption of the New Delhi Leadership Declaration, announcement of a mega India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor and induction of the African Union (AU) as permanent member of the Group of 20.
As the G20 leaders and a 170 guests gather at Bharat Mandapam on the dinner invite by President of India Droupadi Murmu, let’s take a look at what is on agenda for the second day of the G20 Summit.
The G20 Summit began at the Bharat Mandapam on Saturday and will conclude on Sunday.
G20 Summit Day 2 Agenda today (10 September 2023)
8:15 am to 9 am: The leaders and heads of the delegations will arrive at Rajghat in individual motorcades.
9:00 am to 9:20 am: The leaders will then lay a wreath at Mahatma Gandhi’s Samadhi. Also, a live performance of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite devotional songs.
9:20 am: Leaders and Heads of Delegations will then move to Bharat Mandapam’s Leaders’ Lounge.
9:40 am to 10:15 am: Arrival of leaders and heads of delegation at Bharat Mandapam
10:15am–10:30am: Tree planting ceremony at Bharat Mandapam’s South Plaza
10:30 am–12:30 pm: The third session of the summit, called ‘One Future’, will take place at the venue, followed by the adoption of the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration.
G20 Summit Day 1 ( 9 September 2023) Highlights India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor
Plans for an ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor were unveiled on Saturday. This economic corridor of rail and shipping links aims to bolster trade between India, the Middle East and Europe, a modern-day Spice Route to bind regions that account for about a third of the global economy.
The US signed an agreement with India, Middle Eastern countries and the European Union aimed at connecting them via a network of railways and sea routes.
New Delhi Declaration adopted, call for peace in Ukraine
In a major breakthrough, the G20 adopted the New Delhi Leaders Summit Declaration. Asserting that “today’s era must not be of war”, the New Delhi Declaration of G20 countries on Saturday called on all states to uphold the principles of international law including territorial integrity and sovereignty and said the peaceful resolution of conflicts as well as diplomacy and dialogue are critical.
Notably, the G20 final statement, released a day before the summit formally closes, was less sharply worded over the war than one issued during last year’s meeting in Bali and didn’t mention Russia’s invasion directly.
New Delhi Declaration drops references to Ukraine war, which was a sticking point for China and Russia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hand with Chinese Premier Li Qiang upon his arrival at Bharat Mandapam convention centre for the G-20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9, 2023. | Photo Credit: AP
China, which had strongly opposed in the negotiations leading up to the G-20 Summit any direct references to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, finally backed the New Delhi Declaration and reaffirmed its recent calls for the grouping to stay away from “geopolitics”.
A Russian missile strike killed 17 people at an outdoor market just hours after Antony Blinken made an unannounced visit to Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The secretary of state announced more than $1 billion in new US aid for Ukraine.
A record stock-market valuation and surging foreign inflows make for a great backdrop as Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks to tout India’s growing prominence to world leaders at this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in New Delhi.
looks to tout India’s growing prominence to world leaders at this weekend’s Group of 20 summit in New Delhi.
Boosted by one of the world’s fastest growing economies, solid corporate earnings and an unprecedented retail investing boom, the nation’s equity benchmark is also approaching an all-time high.
Indian officials said the announcement would help ‘leave a lasting imprint’ of the work the Indian Presidency has done in bringing in the Global South’s ambitions to the economic grouping
An installation at the Delhi Gate in New Delhi on September 7, 2023 ahead of the G-20 Summit to be held from September 9-10. | Photo Credit: PTI
The African Union (AU) is set to join the G-20 as negotiators agreed on clearing its membership, according to sources privy to the discussions at the Sherpa meeting at a resort on the outskirts of Delhi.
This will mean the 55-member AU will join the European Union as the only two regional bodies in the G-20. While it still unclear whether the G-20 will be renamed as the “G-21” after the induction of the AU, Indian officials said the announcement would help “leave a lasting imprint” of the work the Indian Presidency has done in bringing in the Global South’s ambitions to the economic grouping.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is giving a miss to G20 Summit in New Delhi. But if experts are to be believed, it might have more to do with Xi’s economic and political problems at home than China’s friction with India.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently been reprimanded by Communist Party elders over his policy decisions. (Image: AFP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping was born in the lap of luxury but, as his father was purged during China’s Cultural Revolution, a young Xi had to toil in the farms as a manual labourer in the countryside for 6 years. Those struggles would be nothing compared to the task the all-supreme leader now faces.
Xi is skipping the G20 Summit in New Delhi and experts have failed to pin-point the one big reason why China is sending Premier Li Qiang instead.
It is true that China’s relationship with India has been mostly frosty since the border clashes in May 2020. And it is also possible that the Chinese government decided to send Premier Li Qiang instead of President Xi to send out a signal. But the Chinese government has maintained that it was ready to work with all the parties for the global event’s success in New Delhi this week.
Also, Xi might not want to share the stage with the “tough crowd” at the G20. Many G20 member countries have “hardened their positions on China” in the last decade, said Paul Haenle, director of think-tank Carnegie China, adding, “It’s a tough crowd for Xi”.
What experts are also hinting at is that Xi Jinping’s skipping the India-hosted G20 event could be due to the mounting troubles in China itself. So, is Xi staying back home where the real trouble is?
Given Xi’s focus on domestic issues, he might be unwilling to travel abroad, Alfred Wu, said associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
“Xi Jinping is setting his own agenda where his top concern is national security and he has to stay in China and make foreign leaders visit him instead,” Wu told Reuters.
Wu says the over-emphasis on security is hurting China’s diplomatic ties and the attempt to rejuvenate its economy. China’s economy is in bad shape, and it is among Xi’s biggest headaches.
Amid the India-Bharat naming row, China has suggested that rather than focussing on name change, India should focus on comprehensive economic reforms and global influence.
China advices India on Bharat renaming row (Credits: PTI/FILE)
As New Delhi prepares for the G20 Summit amid the India-Bharat naming row, China has said India wants to use the event as an opportunity “to enhance the country’s international influence” and that the country should focus on more important things than the name.
China, through its mouthpiece Global Times, said, “What matters is whether India can comprehensively reform its economic system, which can be traced back to before 1947, when the nation became independent.”
“Without revolutionary reform, India cannot achieve revolutionary development,” the report stated.
A political storm erupted in the country after invitations for a G20 dinner were sent out on behalf of President Droupadi Murmu, describing her position as ‘President of Bharat’ instead of the customary ‘President of India’.
“Hopefully India can make good use of the increasing global attention it’s getting, and turn this influence into a driving force for growth,” China said.
“At a time when global attention is focused on the upcoming G20 summit, what does New Delhi want to express to the world?” China asked.
Further, the Chinese media said, “a name change reflects an effort to eliminate what it sees as colonial-era names.”
“The Modi administration has been one of the most ambitious governments in India in terms of economic reforms since 1991, when India started major reforms to liberalise its economy. Unfortunately, India is increasingly shifting toward trade protectionism,” the report stated.
“These are all more important than whether to change the country’s name,” the Xi Jinping-led country suggested.
Further, referring to India’s recent strict crackdown on some Chinese companies, the report stated, “India’s hesitancy in fully opening up its markets to the world is understandable, but post-1947 history tells us that every time India promotes reform and economic liberalization, it brings strong impetus to economic growth.”
Tight traffic regulations came into effect in the national capital from 5 am today and will continue till 11.59 pm on Sunday.
Stringent traffic curbs, schools shut, fighter jets for security, murals all across the town – New Delhi has pulled out all the stops to ensure a smooth G20 Summit on September 9 and 10.
Here are 10 points about the big story:
Tight traffic regulations came into effect in the national capital from 5 am today and will continue till 11.59 pm on Sunday. Police have said that ambulances, medicines and those working in other essential services will be allowed to move freely.
Vehicles of locals and tourists will also be permitted to move, but only in the area that they are staying in. Authorities have urged people not to visit India Gate and Kartavya Path for walking, cycling, or picnicking.
Schools, banks, and all government offices will remain shut to ease traffic. Borders to neighboring states will also be sealed.
Over 100,000 police and security personnel are expected to patrol the streets, with fighter jets, advanced AI-based cameras, jamming devices, and sniffer dogs at their disposal.
The Delhi Police will also keep a close watch on developments during the summit from its state-of-the-art control room with the help of a network of 5,000 CCTV cameras installed across the city, officials said.
The Summit will be attended by leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies and will witness discussions on some of the world’s most pressing problems like climate change and poverty.
US President Joe Biden will arrive in New Delhi today and will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Summit.
Prominent issues that could feature during the meeting could be Ukraine, critical and emerging technology, and some of the deals that were announced like that of the drones with General Atomics and jet engines with General Electric.
India, which is heading the group this year, has pulled out all the stops, deploying drones around the national capital, painting murals at underpasses.
New Delhi: Leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies will assemble in New Delhi to try to find solutions to some of the world’s pressing problems amid a deep geopolitical divide over the war in Ukraine that threatens progress on several global fronts.
India, which is heading the group this year, has pulled out all the stops, deploying drones around the national capital, painting murals, and chasing away monkeys using large-scale langur cutouts.
Here’s a look at the major leaders attending the G20 Summit in New Delhi and where they will be putting up
Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden will arrive in New Delhi and will be staying at the ITC Maurya. He will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and is expected to discuss clean energy transition and climate change at the Summit.
Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak will attend the G20 Summit during his first official trip to India as Britain’s Prime Minister. He will stay at the Shangri La hotel.
Ahead of the summit, the 43-year-old praised PM Modi’s leadership and said India was the “right country at the right time”.
China delegation
Premier Li Qiang will lead China’s delegation, effectively indicating President Xi Jinping will not attend, scuppering chances of a meeting with Biden. This will be the first time that a Chinese president has missed a G20 leaders’ summit since the first edition was held in 2008, though in 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Xi attended virtually.
The delegation will be staying at Delhi’s Taj Hotel.
Justin Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be travelling to Indonesia to participate in the ASEAN summit before arriving in New Delhi for the G20 Summit on Saturday and Sunday. He will be staying at The Lalit Hotel
Earlier in the day, a massive controversy had erupted over the government’s decision to send out G20 dinner invites from the ‘President of Bharat’.
An image showing a part of the ASEAN-India summit notes shared by BJP spox Sambit Patra. Credit: X/@sambitswaraj
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Tuesday night shared an official information regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Indonesia in which he has been referred to as the ‘Prime Minister of Bharat’.
Modi will be leaving for Indonesia on Wednesday night to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit.
The reference to Modi as the ‘Prime Minister of Bharat’ comes close on the heels of a G20 invite for a dinner on September 9 in the name of the ‘President of Bharat’, which triggered a row as opposition parties alleged that the government is planning to drop India and stay with just Bharat as the country’s name.
Customarily, in English, the country is referred as India.
A file photo of Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China Jul 18, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Florence Lo)
Premier Li Qiang will lead China’s delegation to the G20 summit in India this weekend, Beijing said on Monday (Sep 4), all but confirming President Xi Jinping will snub the meeting of the world’s biggest economies.
Speculation and media reports have swirled for the past week that Xi would snub the event, but China has remained silent on the issue.
US President Joe Biden has said he would be “disappointed” to see Xi skip the gathering of world leaders in New Delhi.
Beijing’s foreign ministry confirmed on Monday that Li would be at the G20 Leaders’ Summit on Saturday and Sunday, which it described as an important forum for economic cooperation.
“In attending this meeting, Premier Li Qiang will convey China’s thoughts and positions on G20 cooperation, pushing for the G20 to strengthen unity and cooperation, and working together to combat global economic and development challenges,” spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news briefing.
Asked whether the announcement meant Xi would not travel to New Delhi, Mao said: “I made an announcement about this just now. Premier Li Qiang will lead a delegation to New Delhi, India, to take part in the G20 Leaders’ Summit.”
The Group of 20 major economies consists of 19 countries and the European Union, making up about 85 per cent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world’s population.
Lavrov, who has served as President Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister since 2004, is due to represent Russia at the Sept. 9-10 meetof the Group of 20 countries.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov(AP)
Russia will block the final declaration of this month’s G20 summit unless it reflects Moscow’s position on Ukraine and other crises, leaving participants to issue a non-binding or partial communique, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday.
Lavrov, who has served as President Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister since 2004, is due to represent Russia at the Sept. 9-10 meeting of the Group of 20 leading industrialised and developing countries in New Delhi.
Putin is not known to have travelled abroad since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him in March on suspicion of war crimes in Ukraine.
“There will be no general declaration on behalf of all members if our position is not reflected,” Lavrov told students at the prestigious Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
The Kremlin casts the Ukraine war, which began when Russia invaded in February 2022, as an existential battle with an arrogant West that Putin says wants to dismantle Russia and take control of its vast natural resources.
A number of anti-French rallies have been held in Niger in recent weeks
Niger’s coup leaders have given the French ambassador 48 hours to leave the country as bilateral ties continue to deteriorate rapidly.
The junta said Sylvain Itte had refused to respond to an invitation to meet Niger’s foreign minister.
France, a former colonial power, said the “putschists have no authority” to order such an expulsion.
Paris opposes July’s coup, saying that ousted President Mohammed Bazoum must be returned to office.
Friday’s announcement was made by Niger’s foreign minister installed by the junta.
This follows a series of statements and demonstrations hostile towards France.
The French foreign ministry responded by saying that it had “taken note of the putschists”, the AFP news agency reported.
“The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassador’s approval coming solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities,” the ministry added.
REUTERS
Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani, Niger’s coup leader, last week pledged to return the West African nation to civilian rule within three years.
He made the announcement after meeting mediators from the West African regional bloc Ecowas in the capital, Niamey.
Ecowas has threatened military action to reverse last month’s overthrow of President Bazoum if talks fail.
The junta head said that Niger did not want a war, but would defend itself against any foreign intervention.
“If an attack were to be undertaken against us, it will not be the walk in the park some people seem to think,” he warned.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Greece after his three-day visit to South Africa.
PM Modi reaches Greece ( Image Source : PTI )
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached the ancient city of Athens in Greece on Friday on the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. This will be the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the European country in 40 years. Modi’s trip to Greece comes after his three-day visit to South Africa’s Johannesburg to attend the 15th BRICS Summit. “From South Africa, I will travel to Athens, Greece on 25 August 2023 at the invitation of H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece. This will be my first visit to this ancient land,” Modi said in his departure statement on Tuesday.
“Contacts between our two civilizations stretch back over two millennia. In modern times, our ties have been strengthened by shared values of democracy, rule of law and pluralism. Cooperation in diverse sectors such as trade and investment, defence, and cultural and people-to-people contacts have been bringing our two countries closer,” he added.
“I look forward to my visit to Greece opening a new chapter in our multifacted relationship,” Modi said as he left for the first leg of his visit.
India’s Ambassador to Greece, Rudrendra Tandon also looked forward to Modi’s visit saying it will give a new “impetus” to their close bilateral relationship.
