Indonesia on Wednesday handed over the G20 presidency to India for the coming year at a summit in Bali, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it a matter of pride for every Indian citizen. Indonesian President Joko Widodo handed over the G20 chairmanship to Prime Minister Modi in a brief ceremony at the conclusion of the two-day G20 summit here. “Together with the efforts of all countries, we can make the G20 summit a catalyst for global prosperity,” Modi said. The handover ceremony took place at the moment when the member states completed the joint declaration
Earlier, Foreign Minister Vinay Kwatra said India had contributed “constructively” to the drafting of the G20 “outcome document”. Delegations from member states differed on how to characterize the Russia-Ukraine war, with Ukraine’s Western allies reportedly seeking direct condemnation from Moscow. There were earlier concerns that member states might not agree to the final document. G20 statements require the consensus of all members.
The statement was not immediately released. Although the main business of the summit ended in the afternoon, the heads of some countries – including India – scheduled bilateral meetings on the sidelines for later in the day. PM Modi was scheduled to leave Bali in the evening. The G20 consists of 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA and European union. Prime Minister Modi has promised a presidency that will be “inclusive” and be the voice of developing countries.
The next summit will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10. Foreign Minister Kwatra said the Indian delegation led by the prime minister played a “key role” in successfully resolving differences over the “outcome document”. He said the “particular global context” was reflected in the consensus documents. He said Modi’s observation that this is not an era of war and his advocacy of diplomacy and dialogue helped to achieve a “successful” outcome. His report helped build consensus, Kwatra said.
Modi met French President Emmanuel Macron in the morning. After the closing ceremony, he held bilateral meetings with leaders from Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Singapore before leaving for Delhi. On Tuesday, he had a brief formal meeting with US President Joe Biden and Indonesian President Widodo. The foreign minister characterized the handshake between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping over dinner on Tuesday night as an exchange of courtesies. The two leaders spoke briefly and shook hands, sparking interest as they have not held a bilateral meeting since the 2019 border clash.
