G20 Sherpas Meet to Finalize Summit Declaration Amid Ukraine Differences

The Sherpas of the G-20 countries kicked off their fourth and final meeting under the Indian presidency in Nuh on the outskirts of Delhi on Monday, according to Indian G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant.

He expressed confidence that the meeting on 4-8 September would lead to fruitful discussions among the delegates.

Indian officials have said that G-20 sherpas would seek to finalize the final outcome document to be adopted at the G-20 Summit in New Delhi.

There are wide-ranging concerns that persisting differences between western countries and Russia and China over the inclusion of ‘Bali geopolitical paragraphs’ in the final Summit document could reduce it to a ‘Chair’s Summary’ rather than a Summit Declaration adopted through consensus.

None of the G-20 meetings held under the Indian presidency till date have produced a joint statement, though there has been a consensus on various initiatives relating to expediting progress on SDGs, women-led development and environment.

Separately, Russian Ambassador to Delhi Denis Alipov told journalists at New Delhi’s South Asia Foreign Correspondents’ Club on Friday that G-20 wasn’t a platform to discuss the Ukraine conflict, which was a matter for the UN Security Council.

Alipov warned that the Bali Declaration must not be repeated.

In an interview to Indian daily The Hindu last week, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti stated that Washington won’t compromise on language of the Ukraine-related paragraphs in the G-20 Summit Declaration.

‘India Has Built a Unique Narrative’: Kant

Meanwhile, India’s G-20 Sherpa highlighted that New Delhi has built a “unique Indian narrative for its G-20 presidency”.

Among major achievements of India’s G-20 presidency, Kant outlined that progress on digital public infrastructure was the most critical of all.

The sherpa said that its definitions and framework have been accepted by all the G-20 countries-planet approach”

Kant also noted that G-20 nations have backed Indian initiatives on environment, start-ups, traditional medicines, women-led development and millets among others.

Importantly, Kant stressed that “India has truly emerged as the voice of Global South during its G20 presidency.”

“It gives a massive opportunity to bring all the critical issues of developing countries to the centrestage as India has done and carry it forward for implementation,” Kant stated, noting that it is for the first time in G-20 history that four developing nations would hold G20 presidency back-to-back (Indonesia, India, Brazil and South Africa).

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18 July 2023, 18:39

G-20 Sherpas Meet to Finalize Summit Declaration Amid Ukraine Differences

‘India Has Built a Unique Narrative’: Kant