G20 summit wraps up in New Delhi; Modi calls for a virtual meet in November 2023.

 

Key Highlights from the G20 Summit 2023

 India Passes Presidency to Brazil Amidst Surprising Consensus

In a surprising turn of events, the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, concluded on Sunday as India officially transferred the bloc's presidency to Brazil. The summit drew attention for its unexpected consensus, where both the United States and Russia refrained from condemning Moscow for its actions in Ukraine but instead urged members to avoid using force.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the opportunity to call for a virtual meeting of G20 leaders in November to assess the progress made on the policy suggestions and goals announced during the weekend. "It is our responsibility to look at the suggestions that have been made to see how progress can be accelerated," he stated.

During the summit, leaders adopted a Leaders' Declaration that notably refrained from condemning Russia for the war. Instead, it emphasized the human suffering resulting from the conflict and called on all nations to refrain from using force to acquire territory.

This unexpected consensus was a turnaround from the weeks leading up to the summit when sharp differences of opinion regarding the war threatened to disrupt the meeting. Western nations had insisted on denouncing Moscow's invasion, while Russia had vowed to block any resolution that did not align with its stance.

Sergei Lavrov, Russia's Foreign Minister and head of the Russian delegation, highlighted the summit's success for India and the Global South, representing developing countries worldwide. He praised the Global South's role in ensuring that the G20 agenda remained focused and not overshadowed by the Ukraine issue.

Jake Sullivan, White House national security adviser, commended the summit declaration for standing up for the principle that states should not use force for territorial acquisition or violate the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or political independence of other states. Germany and Britain also voiced their approval, although Ukraine expressed disappointment.

The summit further welcomed the African Union, comprising 55 member states, as a permanent member of the G20, underscoring the bloc's representation of the Global South.