India is all set to host the upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi this weekend under its presidency. As the national capital is gearing up for the Summit, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has opened up about the global leaders’ summit in an interview with news agency ANI. From Indo-US bilateral talks to Xi Jinping’s absence, the union minister has talked on every aspect of the event, which will be held from September 08 to September 10.
During the interview, EAM Jiahsnaker noted that the world is changing, citing the best example as the G20 Summit, which is today viewed as the premier global forum. He said, “Over the last many years, especially maybe over the last decade, perhaps a little bit more…the relative economic weight of countries have changed, the relative political confidence of countries have changed. The relationships especially of the major powers and the middle powers have changed.”
“I think the world is changing and the G20 itself is actually the best statement of it…there was a time after all, we left everything to the G7 today the fact that you have G20.”
“I mean, G20 is today seen as the premier global forum. After all, just think of the last year. Compare the G20 meeting to anything else that has happened, a NATO meeting I don’t know SCO meeting BRICS meeting Quad meeting a UN meeting. Nothing has evoked the kind of attention and focus that a G20 meeting has because the world recognizes today that this gathering has very exceptional importance,” he said.
Speaking on the Indo-US bonds, the union minister said that both nations are looking forward to building upon the ‘strong’ state visit of PM Modi to the US in June this year.
“We have had a very strong state visit by the Prime Minister to the United States, strong in terms of the outcomes and the results of that visit. So my understanding is right now, both systems, the Indian system and the American system are busy working that through and trying to implement a lot of what was agreed to in June this year,” he said.
EAM Jaishankar has clearly said that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence will not cast a shadow on the G20 Summit.
“I do not think it has anything to do with India. I. I think whatever decision they make, they would know best.”
However, he said, “Not really. I think at different points of time in G20 there have been some presidents or prime ministers who for whatever reason, have chosen not to come themselves but that country, and that country’s position is obviously reflected by whoever is the representative on that occasion. So, you had some occasions where you had a president or two, sometimes three, who have not themselves come. My sense from talking to the ministers, certainly, and I know the Sherpas are in touch with each other, they are right now trying to hammer out the final document. I think everybody is coming with a great deal of seriousness.”
As there were conversations that New Delhi is leaning more towards Washington lately, the union minister refuted all claims, saying that G20 is not the arena for power politics.
“I think a lot of countries identify with India as a developing country. A lot of countries identify India as a democracy. Many identify with India saying ‘Okay, it’s a pluralistic country’. We see many institutional cultural similarities, so different people in the world identify with us. G20 is not the arena for power politics.”
Foreign S Jaishankar has credited PM Modi for India’s changed attitude at international fora, a reason for India finding its place at the high table of diplomacy. He said, “It is a different world, a different India. It is a different Prime Minister. It is a different government. And that is why you have all that you haven’t seen in the past.”
Hailing the prime minister’s effort under the G20 presidency, the EAM said, “No other G20 presidency has tried to get together developing countries who are not on the table and say–please come, sit with us, tell us what are your concerns. And we will distil those concerns and place them before the G20. That is a unique exercise.”
“India has a reputation of being a constructive player. Someone who bridges, divides, who kind of somewhere helps to fix problems. I am confident that every one of the G20 coming to Delhi will understand the responsibility that they bear. That the other 180 countries of the world are looking to them to set directions and that they cannot afford to fail them,” he said.
Hitting out at the opposition over scaling the G20 events, Jaishankar said that in the past the governments chose to keep the sphere of influence limited.
“If somebody felt that they were most comfortable in Lutyens’ Delhi or completely comfortable in Vigyan Bhavan, that is their prerogative, that was their world. So yes, you have had summit meetings where the impact of the country probably went two kilometres on a good day out of Vigyan Bhavan. This is a different government. It is a different era. It is a different thought process,” he told ANI.
The foreign minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted the entire nation to have a sense of participation and ownership of G20.
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