Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Saturday by urging the international community to foster trust and reliance. He emphasized the importance of countries working together and highlighted India’s G20 presidency as a symbol of inclusivity, both domestically and globally.
Expressing his gratitude to the Indian people for their active involvement in the G20 process, Prime Minister Modi noted that over 200 meetings had taken place across 60 cities in India, making it a truly people’s G20.
In a significant announcement, the African Union (AU) was welcomed as a permanent member of the G20. Prime Minister Modi, who proposed this decision in June, believes that the inclusion of the AU will contribute greatly to addressing global challenges. Chairperson Azali Assoumani represented the AU at the G20 leaders’ table.
The global trust deficit emerged as a prominent theme in Prime Minister Modi’s remarks. He acknowledged that the COVID-19 pandemic had further deepened this deficit but emphasized the importance of overcoming it. Drawing a parallel with the successful fight against the pandemic, he expressed confidence in the world’s ability to overcome the challenge of a trust deficit.
According to the Prime Minister, the world faced the trust deficit challenge soon after the COVID-19 pandemic. “But we must remember that if we can defeat a pandemic like Covid, we can also win over the challenge of this trust deficit,” he added.
As world leaders arrived at the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi for the summit, Prime Minister Modi personally welcomed each of them. The leaders walked on a red carpet past a wall displaying 32 yoga asanas, reflecting India’s rich cultural heritage.
India’s G20 presidency is guided by the theme “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One Earth, One Family, One Future.” This theme underscores India’s commitment to sustainable, inclusive, and human-centric development.
“Our G20 presidency is a symbol of inclusion and collaboration, both inside and outside our country. It represents the commitment of millions of Indians and the importance we place on addressing global challenges together,” said Prime Minister Modi.
Earlier in his opening remarks, Prime Minister Modi said the country’s G20 presidency was “a symbol of inclusion, of ‘sabka saath’ both inside and outside the country.”
“This has become the people’s G20 in India. Millions of Indians are connected to this. In over 60 cities across the country, more than 200 meetings have taken place,” the Prime Minister added.
“Today, as the President of the G20, India calls upon the entire world to turn this Global Trust Deficit into trust and confidence,” said Prime Minister Modi.
17 of the G20 member states are attending the meeting with three heads of states absent but with delegations. They being China, Russia and Mexico. There were also eight special invitees.
The heads of the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, the International Labour Organisation, the Financial Stability Board and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are also present.
Raquel Bacay and Mohan Bandam are reporting from New Delhi
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