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

Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman hosted a dinner for finance ministers of G20 countries, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva and WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, ahead of G20 summit, in Delhi.

US President Joe Biden

UK PM Rishi Sunak

Australian premier Anthony Albanese

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol

Deputy Prime Minister of Oman Asaad bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said

Oman PM Haitham bin Tariq Al Said

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

President of UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula

Chinese premier Li Qiang

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Indonesian President Joko Widodo

According to G20 Special Secretary Muktesh Pardeshi the summit arrangements are like this: 

-India is prepared to manage 10,000 people during the G20 Summit.

-The staff are divided into many groups. One is for VVIPs, heads of delegations, leaders, and ministers. After that accompanying delegation, country delegation.

-There are Indian government employees. There is a support staff that is reviewing the security and other arrangements.

-"We have been working on it for months. One of the advantages of the G-20 summit would be that we can tell the world that we are ready to organise any kind of event," he said.

US President Joe Biden called for global governance to be more inclusive and representative. He reaffirmed his support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member. Read the full Indo-US joint statement here

Spain's President Pedro Sanchez will skip the G20 Summit being hosted by India in New Delhi as he has tested positive for COVID-19. "This afternoon I have tested positive for Covid and will not be able to travel to New Delhi for the G20 Summit," Sanchez wrote on X.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Sanchez a speedy recovery and good health. "We shall miss your insightful views during the upcoming G20 Summit. At the same time, a warm welcome to the Spanish delegation which has come to India," Modi said in response to Sanchez's post.

Upon his arrival in New Delhi ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled to begin tomorrow, US President Joe Biden took a moment to acknowledge India's recent achievements in space exploration. He extended his congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission and the recent Aditya-L1 Sun mission.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, during a pre-G20 Summit press conference, said that India is expecting consensus on contentious issues such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine over the course of the two-day summit.

“India’s expectation is that all G20 members will move towards a consensus and we are hopeful of a consensus on the communique,” foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said at a packed pre-summit press conference in response to a question on the Ukraine conflict holding up an agreement on the leaders’ declaration to be issued at the end of the summit. Read more

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been conducting bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, he “reiterated India's commitment to furthering the voice of the Global South” during discussions with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth

“PM @KumarJugnauth and I had a very good meeting. This is a special year for India-Mauritius relations as we mark 75 years of diplomatic ties between our nations. We discussed cooperation in sectors like infrastructure, FinTech, culture and more. Also reiterated India's commitment to furthering the voice of the Global South,” PM Modi wrote on X (formerly Twitter)

Amid tight security preparations by Delhi Police for the scheduled G20 Summit starting tomorrow, more than 40 residents of the city's Gandhi Nagar area have volunteered to assist the city police in enhancing night vigilance during the summit.

"In view of the G20 Summit, local residents of our area have come forward and requested the police that they will work with us. We have agreed as we are already short of staff. We would be taking their help at pickets and night patrolling," PTI quoted a senior police as saying.

Special t-shirts were given to these men which will help them identify. 

“All staff, including senior police officers, are on foot round-the-clock in maintaining law and order and tight vigil in their respective areas," the official added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden at Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. The bilateral talks took place a day before the G20 Summit that begins tomorrow. Read more

US President Joe Biden

UK PM Rishi Sunak

Australian premier Anthony Albanese

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol

Deputy Prime Minister of Oman Asaad bin Tariq bin Taimur Al Said

Oman PM Haitham bin Tariq Al Said

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

President of UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

G20 member states' leaders will be treated to an exquisite Indian dinner tonight. The Indian platter includes cuisines from across the country. Here's what is on the G20 menu.