18th G20 summit under Indian presidency to begin in New Delhi

The 18th G20 Leaders' Summit will begin with much fanfare as heads of world-leading economies will gather at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi today.

To be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two day summit will see the participation of US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, among others.

Several issues ranging from food and energy security to clean energy transition and climate change are expected to be deliberated at length by the world's leading economies during this global event.

India is leveraging its G-20 Presidency to establish itself as a global powerhouse, advocating for the hopes and aspirations of many developing nations.

The key priorities for India's G20 presidency include sustainable development goals and climate action.

Briefing media yesterday, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said the New Delhi Leaders Declaration is almost ready and will be recommended to the leaders during the G-20 Summit.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said that India expects the summit proceedings to take a suitable decision on the inclusion of the African Union in the G-20 block.

In response to a question on the Ukraine conflict holding up an agreement on the New Delhi Declaration, Mr Kwatra said, India's expectation is that all G20 members will move towards a consensus and India is hopeful of a consensus on the communique.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed confidence that the New Delhi G-20 Summit will chart a new path in human-centric and inclusive development.

In a social media post, he highlighted that India’s G20 Presidency has been inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented.