G20 Summit: PM Modi Holds Bilateral Discussions With Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth Ahead Of Delhi Summit

G20 Summit 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a bilateral discussion with Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Friday. This marks Prime Minister Modi’s first bilateral meeting before the start of the G20 Summit. Pravind Jugnauth arrived in India on Thursday to participate in the G20 Summit and was warmly welcomed at the New Delhi airport.

According to reports, Prime Minister Modi may hold 15 bilateral meetings in the next three days. In addition to bilateral meetings with leaders of Britain, Japan, Germany, and Italy on Saturday, he will also participate in G20 sessions. Sources suggest that on Sunday, he will have a luncheon meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile, the arrival of G20 leaders in India is ongoing.

Before the G20 Summit, India stated on Friday that the “New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration” is nearly ready, and discussions are ongoing to achieve consensus on it.

Expect a joint statement

Indian officials associated with the G20 expressed hope in a press conference before the summit that they expect a joint statement to be prepared with consensus. They refrained from making extensive comments on complex issues like the Russia-Ukraine conflict and climate-related matters. It’s worth noting that Russia has previously expressed objections to the Ukraine issue and issued warnings.

Regarding the “New Delhi Declaration,” Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale said, “India hopes that all G20 members will move towards a consensus.”

As for the possibility of the African Union being included in the G20, Quadrilateral officials said they hope the decision will be taken during the proceedings of the summit, which begins on Saturday. India’s G20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant, stated that the “New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration” will become the voice of the “Global South” and developing countries.

The term “Global South” is usually used to refer to economically less developed countries. The G20 Sherpa stated that Prime Minister Modi emphasized that India’s leadership should be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive.