G20 Summit set to commence in New Delhi
The Leaders’ Summit will comprise three key sessions — One Earth, One Family and One Future — besides other side events. President Droupadi Murmu will host a dinner in the honour of the G20 leaders later in the day
The newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan is all set to host the 18th G20 Summit on Saturday, with several top world leaders and heads of global organisations scheduled to arrive soon at the venue. The leaders will be received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as per summit protocol.
Modi, US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders of the G20 grouping as well as chiefs of many leading world bodies such as the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have arrived in New Delhi for the summit.
The Leaders’ Summit will comprise three key sessions — One Earth, One Family and One Future — besides other side events. President Droupadi Murmu will host a dinner in the honour of the G20 leaders later in the day.
The event will showcase India’s readiness to host a wide range of events, G20 special secretary Muktesh Pardeshi said on Friday.
“A dedicated support team is currently evaluating the security and logistical aspects, with enthusiastic participation from skilled artisans. Coordinating all these aspects constitutes a substantial organisational endeavour. We have dedicated months to its planning. The G20 summit offers us the unique opportunity to showcase to the global community our preparedness to organise diverse events.”
It is a golden opportunity for India to make a mark on the global stage, Pardesi said.
The main venue and the International Media Centre (IMC) were abuzz with activity from early on Saturday, with hundreds of officials, delegates and journalists walking in through several layers of security. A large number of security personnel have been deployed around the venue; sniffer dogs were deployed as well.
During the course of India’s presidency, the country has hosted over 220 G20 meetings in 60 different cities across the country.
“In keeping with the PM’s vision of a pan-Indian G20, we have hosted at least one G20 meeting in every state and Union Territory of India. To my mind, that is the finest example of cooperative federalism that we can seek,” G20 chief coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Friday.
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.
India took over the G20 presidency on 1 December 2022, and it will conclude on 30 November 2023 before Brazil takes over next year.