G20 Summit highlights: Biden backs India as permanent UN Security Council member

On US-India bilateral meeting, US State Department's Spokesperson Margaret MacLeod says, "We will have discussions on several issues. India and the US share a partnership in several sectors including critical emerging technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Education, Student mobility and others. America wants to work with India after seeing the ambition of the youth in India"

"We remain committed to extensive and strategic multilateral action in response to Russia's war on Ukraine," says US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen at a press conference in Delhi.

China is emerging as a block on negotiations in the run-up to a meeting of Group of 20 leaders, with the UK accusing Beijing of obstructing measures to tackle climate change and refusing to back language condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that with China objecting to proposals on Ukraine and climate, G—20 nations had yet to reach agreement on a joint statement for two-day summit in New Delhi.

“We’re not there yet,” Sunak told Bloomberg News on the plane to India. Those two topics, climate and Ukraine, will dominate discussions over the weekend, Sunak added, describing negotiations between government officials so far as “challenging.”

Bloomberg

"It (G20) is a good forum where these 20 nations are able to put themselves together and discuss their issues. It is a better forum than United Nations," says National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on G20 Summit in Delhi.

When asked if he is expecting the African Union to be a part of the G20 this weekend, President of the European Council Charles Michel says, "I don't think that this G20 will dissolve in two days all the problems of the world...But I feel it can be a route step into a direction to ensure to make it happen and to support Indian presidency. This is how the EU considers it role..."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni arrives in Delhi for the G20 Summit.

She was received by MoS for State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Shobha Karandlaje.

With bright murals, graffiti and painted walls, New Delhi has pulled out all the stops to ensure a smooth G20 Summit that will host world leaders on September 9 and 10.

The G20 Summit being held in New Delhi under India’s Presidency will draw the participation of the top leaders.

The G20, or the Group of Twenty, comprises 19 countries-- Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom, the United States-- and the European Union.

During the summit, the national capital will play host to US President Joe Biden, Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, among others.

The authorities have beautified roads, footpaths, roundabouts, markets, flyovers, and public areas with over 1 lakh potted plants.

On the security front, the Delhi Police has heightened security across the city.

Delhi Police continued its security checks on Friday morning.

Zenon, Ming, Zone, Zozo and Zinger are among six NSG dog squad members with their handlers as well as bomb disposal units kept on checking inside and outside the periphery of Rajghat from the beginning of the day on Thursday till late night on different occasions to ensure safe and secure event.

These specially trained security members of NSG's dog squad are among their other colleagues who are also strategically deployed at India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and the Pusa campus-- other venues where the Summit and related events are scheduled.

Curbs on traffic regulations have also come into force in the national capital.

The New Delhi district has been designated as Controlled Zone-I from Friday 5 am till Sunday 11.59 pm because of the summit.

Delhi Traffic Police on Friday morning said that the movement of buses into the city from the Rajokari border has been stopped with effect from September 8 till September 10. (ANI)

Heavy security deployed near Majnu Ka Tilla in view of the protest by the Tibetan community

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold more than 15 bilateral meetings with world leaders. On 8th September, PM will hold bilateral meetings with leaders of Mauritius, Bangladeshi and USA. On 9th September, in addition to the G20 meetings, PM will hold bilateral meetings with the UK, Japan, Germany and Italy and on 10th September, PM will hold a working lunch meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. He will do a pull-aside meeting with Canada and bilateral meetings with Comoros, Turkiye, UAE, South Korea, EU/EC, Brazil and Nigeria.

ANI

It’s never been easy for the leaders of the world’s largest economies to find common ground, but the global ramifications of Russia’s war on Ukraine mean even greater challenges for meaningful agreement at the Group of 20 meeting this year.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this year’s host, has pledged not to let Ukraine overshadow the needs of the mostly developing nations in the so-called “ Global South,” but many of those issues are closely affected by the war.

“New Delhi will not want to distract from the main agenda, which is to address issues of concern for the Global South,” said Nazia Hussain, an associate research fellow at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. “So while there will be discussions on the emerging issues as a fallout of the war — supply chain security and decoupling, energy security, and food supply — the focus must remain on how to mitigate the fallout rather than debate the geopolitical/security aspects of the war.”

AP

The Delhi government's Department of Food Safety has deployed its officers to ensure that G20 dignitaries and delegates are served hygienically cooked food during their stay at the city hotels, officials said.

A senior officer of the department said on Thursday that 18 food safety officers have been collecting samples of raw food items being used at 19 five-star hotels in New Delhi and the Aerocity area, where the foreign guests will stay.

"We do routine checking and sampling but in view of the G20 summit, we have deputed 18 food safety officers and are conducting laboratory tests on the samples being collected from the hotels since Monday," the officer said.

PTI

Argentina President Alberto Fernández reaches a hotel in Delhi's Aerocity.

Cultural dance performance at Delhi airport to welcome Argentina President Alberto Fernandez, who has arrived to attend the G20 Summit.

President Biden has no plans to meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, according to a White House official. Jake Sullivan, the president's national security advisor, discussed the summit agenda and stated that there is currently no plan for a meeting between the two leaders. This comes in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report regarding Chinese nationals accessing American military bases, raising questions about whether this issue would be addressed during the summit.

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All heads of governments and states along with other foreign dignitaries will witness a first-of-its-kind instrumental music performances during the G20 Summit. The performance will bring together different musical styles from all corners of India to showcase the cultural depth of the country.

The artists will perform together for three hours during the dinner programme which will be hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on September 9.

78 instrumentalists from all over the country will perform together for three hours. 34 Hindustani instruments, 18 Carnatic instruments, and 40 folk instruments from across Indian states. Among the artists, 11 children, 13 women, 7 differently abled (Divyang) artists, 26 young men and 21 seniors will participate in the event.

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On the G20 Summit, former Sherpa Montek Singh Ahluwalia says, "I hope we have a good G20... It is a difficult situation as, for the first time, there are global events on which countries don't actually agree...But many of the other issues that are being discussed are very relevant...I certainly think we are looking at the right issues...The G20 is more like a forum for creating a broad sense of consensus, and then negotiations take place at other forums..."

Argentina President Alberto Fernández lands in Delhi for the G20 Summit.

He was received by MoS for Steel and Rural Development, Faggan Singh Kulaste.

“India is all set to showcase its best before the world during the G20 Summit. We need the blessings of Mother Ganga for this, and this 'aarti' is dedicated to that,” says West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose.

TMC MP Saket Gokhale on Friday tweeted, “Modi Govt spent SEVEN TIMES (7x) more than Germany did on hosting G20 Summit. In 2017, Germany hosted the G20 Summit in Hamburg. The total cost, according to Germany's G20 website, was €72 million ( ₹ 641 crores). In comparison, how much has the Modi Govt spent?”

On the G20 Summit, Oman's Sherpa Pankaj Khimji says, "The relationship between India and Oman is only going to get better... We have exchanged a lot of ideas...We have been bound together socially and culturally for over 5,000 years and economically for over 2,000 years...India seems to be leading the race of digital transformation, and we need to take a leaf out of India's book of digital transformation..."

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has worked out an elaborate plan to guard Delhi’s skies during the G20 Summit on September 9-10, with a range of assets deployed to protect the national capital from a wide spectrum of possible threats, officials aware of the matter said on Thursday.

From fighter jets to surface-to-air missile systems and airborne surveillance platforms to anti-drone systems, the air force will be on high alert over the weekend to detect, track and neutralise any airborne threat, said one of the officials, asking not to be named.

“IAF’s air defence cover is in place to defend the Capital against a broad range of threats including drones, gliders, smaller aircraft, missiles and even fighter planes,” said a second official, who also asked not to be named. Surface-to-air missile systems have also been deployed in the National Capital Region (NCR), HT has learnt.

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Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda have been invited to attend the G20 Summit dinner, sources told news agency ANI.