New Delhi:

Trade, economy, defence, and cultural cooperation are the main topics of discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud during the latter’s State visit today.

The Saudi Crown Prince arrived in Delhi for a three-day tour which began with the G20 Summit in the national capital.

During the high-profile meeting today at Delhi’s Hyderabad House, the two leaders will co-chair the First Leaders’ Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council, a bilateral agreement between India and Saudi Arabia signed by the two nations in Riyadh in 2019.

The leaders will assess the progress of the two ministerial committees of the Strategic Partnership Council, namely the Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation Committee and the Economy and Investments Cooperation Committee. They will also discuss all aspects of bilateral relations, including political, security, defence, trade, economy, culture, and people-to-people ties. Additionally, they will discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest, a government release stated.

India and Saudi Arabia have a long history of cordial and cooperative relations, with extensive people-to-people ties. According to government data, bilateral trade between the two countries reached an all-time high of USD 52.75 billion in fiscal year 2022-23.

PM Modi during his 2019 visit to Riyadh had said that India and Saudi Arabia have a Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC) that meets regularly and that the two countries have identified a number of areas of mutual interest and cooperation in the field of defence and security.

The two economic powerhouses are also major trading partners. India is Saudi Arabia’s second-largest trading partner, while Saudi Arabia is India’s fourth-largest. The two countries have a strong partnership in the energy sector, with India importing a significant amount of oil from Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Arabian Crown Prince will be accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 10 am, ahead of his meeting with PM Modi at 11 am.

After concluding his engagements with PM Modi and other dignitaries, Prince Salman will meet President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 6:30 PM before departing from New Delhi at 8:30 PM.

This is Prince Salman’s second State visit to India.

During the two-day G20 Summit in New Delhi, Saudi Arabia was one of the signatories to the ambitious India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor.

The initiative, seen by many as a potential alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, was jointly announced by PM Modi and the leaders of the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

Once completed, the project can serve as a modern-day Silk Road that functioned as the central trade route facilitating economic partnerships, political alliances, and cultural integration across continents. 

New Delhi:

The Western powers failed to “Ukrainise” the agenda of the G20 largely due to consolidated efforts by the grouping’s member nations from the Global South, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, hailing the declaration unveiled by the leaders of the bloc that avoided condemning Moscow for its war against Ukraine.

He also described the G20 Summit under India’s presidency as a “breakthrough” in many ways as its outcomes showed a path to the world to move forward on a range of challenges.

“We didn’t expect that. We were ready to defend our wording of the text. The Global South is no longer willing to be lectured,” he said referring to the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration.

India managed to hammer out an unexpected consensus among the G20 countries on the contentious Ukraine conflict through a series of hectic negotiations with emerging economies such as Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia playing a leading role in reaching the agreement on the declaration.

At a press briefing, Lavrov said India played an important role in “preventing the West” from taking forward their approach on many issues, including Ukraine.

The G20 members of the Global South prevented the efforts of the West to “Ukrainise” the agenda of the summit, he noted.

The summit declaration clearly sent across a message that military conflicts in the world must be resolved according to the UN Charter and that the Western powers will not be able to press ahead with their concepts of resolution of various crises, Lavrov said.

“The summit was a breakthrough event as it gave clear guidelines for achieving such goals (of ensuring a balance of interests in the global economy),” he said, hailing India’s presidency of the grouping.

In his remarks, the Russian foreign minister said the united position of the Global South prevented the West from focusing the G20 summit’s agenda on Ukraine.

“Largely thanks to the consolidated position of the Global South on protecting its legitimate interests, Western attempts to focus the agenda on Ukraine to the detriment of discussing the pressing issues the developing world is facing failed,” he said.

Lavrov said India has for the first time in the history of the G20 managed to consolidate representatives of the Global South.

He said the G20 developing countries have a “correct picture” of what is going on in Ukraine, alleging that “the Kiev regime destroyed its country’s territorial integrity by itself”.

Mr Lavrov also noted that the G20 Summit in New Delhi provided a direction towards fairness in global governance and global finance as well.

“I want to express my gratitude to India for preventing attempts to politicise the G20,” he said, adding the West will not be able to remain a “hegemony” as we see new centres of power coming up in the world.

On challenges emanating from climate change, the Russian foreign minister said the Western powers have done nothing on its promise of providing USD 100 billion annually to developing nations to deal with climate change.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a strong pitch for expansion of the UN Security Council and reforms in all global institutions, asserting that they should reflect the world’s “new realities” as it is nature’s law that those who don’t change with times, lose relevance.

As curtains came down on the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Modi also proposed a virtual session of the bloc around the end of November to take stock of the suggestions and decisions made at the leaders’ summit.

At the concluding session, Prime Minister Modi handed over the gavel and offered best wishes to Brazil for the next presidency. Brazil will officially take over the mantle of the presidency of the elite grouping on December 1 this year.

Echoing Prime Minister Modi’s pitch at an earlier session for reforms in global institutions, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the UN Security Council needs new developing countries as permanent and non-permanent members to regain political strength.

“We want greater representation for emerging countries at the World Bank and the IMF,” he said.

Speaking at the ‘One Future’ session during the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Modi made a fresh push for reforms in global institutions, including the United Nations.

“In order to take the world towards a better future, it is necessary that the global systems are according to the present realities. Today, the ‘United Nations Security Council’ is also an example of this. When the UN was established, the world was completely different from what it is today. At that time there were 51 founding members in the UN. Today the number of countries included in the UN is around 200,” Prime Minister Modi said.

“Despite this, the number of permanent members in the UNSC remains the same. The world has since changed a lot in every aspect. Be it transport, communication, health and education, every sector has been transformed. These new realities should reflect in our new global structure,” he said.

The UNSC has five permanent members – the US, China, France, Britain and Russia.

He noted that many regional groupings have emerged and proved effective in the last many years and said that it calls for reflection.

Pitching for reforms, he said that is why a historic initiative was made on Saturday by making the African Union a member of the G20.

“Similarly, we also need to expand the mandate of multilateral development banks. Our decisions in this direction should be immediate and effective,” the prime minister said.

Later, at the concluding session, Prime Minister Modi extended full support to Brazil and expressed confidence that the Brazilian presidency of the G20 will take forward the shared goals of the bloc.

“India passes the gavel to Brazil. We have unwavering faith that they will lead with dedication, vision and will further global unity as well as prosperity,” Prime Minister Modi said.

Prime Minister Modi also proposed a virtual G20 session by November-end to take stock of the suggestions and decisions made at the Leaders’ Summit.

“In the last two days, you have put forward your views, given suggestions and a number of proposals have been put forward. It is our responsibility that the suggestions that have come forth are closely looked upon as to how they can be speeded up,” Prime Minister Modi said.

“It is my proposal that we hold another session of the G20 virtually in November- end. In that session, we can review the issues that have been agreed upon during this summit. Our teams will share the details of it with all of you. I hope all of you will join this (session),” he said.

“With this, I declare the G20 summit as closed,” Prime Minister Modi said.

In his remarks at the ‘One Future’ session, Prime Minister Modi also described cyber security and cryptocurrencies as among the burning issues affecting the present and future of the world.

Cryptocurrency is a new subject for social order, and monetary and financial stability, he said, seeking the development of global standards to regulate it.

Cyberspace has emerged as a new source of funding for terrorism and global cooperation and framework are necessary for securing it, he said. “This is a very important subject for every country’s security and prosperity,” he added.

“When we take care of the security and sensitivity of every country, then the feeling of ‘One Future’ will be strengthened,” he said.

Noting that the world is witnessing unimaginable scale and speed in new-generation technology, he cited Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an example and said G20 countries need to go beyond the “Principles on AI” adopted by the bloc in 2019.

“I suggest we establish a framework for ‘responsible human-centric AI governance’. India will also give its suggestions. It will be our effort that all countries get the benefits of AI in areas like socio-economic development, global workforce, and research and development,” he said.

Highlighting his push for a human-centric vision instead of a GDP-centric approach, he said India has expressed its willingness to share data of its lunar mission with everyone in the interest of humanity. “It is also a proof of our commitment towards human-centric growth.” He said the world needs to go beyond the concept of “global village” to make “global family” a reality, calling for a future in which not only the interests of the countries are aligned but also their hearts.

In a fast-changing world, sustainability and stability are as much needed as transformation, he said.

Later, Prime Minister Modi posted on X, “Simply having a GDP-centric approach is outdated. Time has come to adopt a human-centric vision of progress. India has been making several efforts in this regard, particularly in areas relating to data and technology. We must do whatever we can to use AI for socio-economic development.” “As we pursue our development trajectories, we must keep our focus on sustainability and stability. This will ensure empowerment of the marginalised,” Prime Minister Modi said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the International Media Centre (IMC) at the Bharat Mandapam – the venue of the G20 Summit – this evening.

After holding a series of bilateral meetings with world leaders after the conclusion of the mega summit, PM Modi came to the media centre and greeted and waved at journalists, both from India and abroad, as camerapersons vied to click him.

Amid cheers, the Prime Minister walked into the cavernous hall on the ground floor of the International Media Centre which was all decked up.

G20 logos were splashed across huge decorative panels in the hall on the theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ – ‘One Earth. One Family. One Future’.

New Delhi:

While we had consensus on the most important issues facing mankind today — sustainable development, growth, reform of multilateral institutions, women-led development — the geopolitical issue of the Ukraine war threw a spanner in the works as the global ideological divide cuts across the G20, the Delhi Summit’s Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla said, explaining how India handled its year of presidency. 

Speaking to NDTV, Mr Shringla said India is well-placed to tackle the issue as in addition to being a regular invitee to the G7 (an informal bloc of industrialised democracies – the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom) and a member of the Quad (a strategic security dialogue between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States), we are also members of the BRICS (a group of major emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (a Eurasian political, economic, international security, and defence organisation established by China and Russia).

The fact that we got a consensus document with all partner countries agreeing to a formulation that suits their requirements is testimony to the importance of the G20 process, the need for a grouping like G20 to address global issues, and it’s also a testimony to India’s leadership on the global stage, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own stature in that regard, Mr Shringla further said.

The geopolitical section of the Delhi declaration have a distinct imprint of India’s position on the issue — reference to the UN charter, international sovereignty and territorial integrity, looking at such issues through diplomacy and dialogue, and the position that today’s era is not an era of war — the G20 coordinator said.

New Delhi:

Australian Prime Minister who is in Delhi to attend the G20 Summit taking place under India’s presidency on Saturday termed the G20 Summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “successful”. 

He stated that the New Delhi Summit was followed by a good bilateral discussion between the two leaders. 

In a post on X, the Australian Prime Minister informed about holding discussions with PM Modi about concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between Australia and India. 

A successful G20 meeting hosted by @narendramodi in New Delhi today followed by a good bilateral discussion about concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Australia and India pic.twitter.com/tglLOScrcJ

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 9, 2023

“A successful G20 meeting hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today followed by a good bilateral discussion about concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Australia and India,” Albanese wrote on X.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in New Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit on Friday. 

Earlier in May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a three-nation visit when he also visited Australia.

Australian PM said that PM Modi’s visit to Australia has strengthened the relationship between the two countries. 

“This is a relationship we need to invest in. Our strong partnership with India will deliver benefits for Australia in trade, investment and business and in regional security and stability,” Anthony Albanese said. 

Underscoring the value Australia gives to India, Albanese said that he met PM Modi six times. He also stated that Australia is a better place because of the contributions of the Indian-Australian community and he wanted to see more connections between the two countries. 

Meanwhile, on X, Mr Albanese said that Australia and India are working more closely together to boost renewable energy in both our countries. 

After concluding his visit, PM Modi thanked his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese for the hospitality during his Sydney visit, one which will “boost the friendship between Australia and India,” and noted that the two leaders will keep working towards a “vibrant India-Australia friendship,” which is also in the “interest of global good.”

This is the first time that the G20 Summit is being hosted by India. Extensive preparations have been made to portray India’s traditions and strengths.

During the presidency, India has focused on various issues like inclusive growth, digital innovation, climate resilience, and equitable global health access.

By leveraging its presidency, India is fostering collaborative solutions that benefit its own population and contribute to the broader global well-being.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Australian Prime Minister who is in Delhi to attend the G20 Summit taking place under India’s presidency on Saturday termed the G20 Summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as “successful”. 

He stated that the New Delhi Summit was followed by a good bilateral discussion between the two leaders. 

In a post on X, the Australian Prime Minister informed about holding discussions with PM Modi about concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) between Australia and India. 

A successful G20 meeting hosted by @narendramodi in New Delhi today followed by a good bilateral discussion about concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Australia and India pic.twitter.com/tglLOScrcJ

— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 9, 2023

“A successful G20 meeting hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi today followed by a good bilateral discussion about concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Australia and India,” Albanese wrote on X.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in New Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit on Friday. 

Earlier in May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a three-nation visit when he also visited Australia.

Australian PM said that PM Modi’s visit to Australia has strengthened the relationship between the two countries. 

“This is a relationship we need to invest in. Our strong partnership with India will deliver benefits for Australia in trade, investment and business and in regional security and stability,” Anthony Albanese said. 

Underscoring the value Australia gives to India, Albanese said that he met PM Modi six times. He also stated that Australia is a better place because of the contributions of the Indian-Australian community and he wanted to see more connections between the two countries. 

Meanwhile, on X, Mr Albanese said that Australia and India are working more closely together to boost renewable energy in both our countries. 

After concluding his visit, PM Modi thanked his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese for the hospitality during his Sydney visit, one which will “boost the friendship between Australia and India,” and noted that the two leaders will keep working towards a “vibrant India-Australia friendship,” which is also in the “interest of global good.”

This is the first time that the G20 Summit is being hosted by India. Extensive preparations have been made to portray India’s traditions and strengths.

During the presidency, India has focused on various issues like inclusive growth, digital innovation, climate resilience, and equitable global health access.

By leveraging its presidency, India is fostering collaborative solutions that benefit its own population and contribute to the broader global well-being.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The G20 warned on Saturday of significant headwinds and “cascading crises” buffeting the global economy, while saying more pain could be on the way.

“Cascading crises have posed challenges to long-term growth,” said the Group of 20 leading economies, who have been meeting in Delhi.

“With notable tightening in global financial conditions, which could worsen debt vulnerabilities, persistent inflation and geoeconomic tensions, the balance of risks remains tilted to the downside,” it said in a statement.

Many countries are still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and drastic commodity price surges triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while climate change is affecting some of the poorest countries least able to cope.

“Global economic growth is below its long-run average and remains uneven,” the G20 statement said. “The uncertainty around the outlook remains high.”

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday before the G20 summit that, while “aware of the risks to global growth”, she had “been surprised by the strength of global growth and how resilient the global economy has proven to be”.

“While there are risks and some countries that have certainly been affected, overall, the global economy has been resilient,” she said.

For Yellen, the “most important negative influence is Russia’s war on Ukraine”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The special dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu for G20 leaders on Saturday evening will witness a musical performance showcasing ancient classical instruments such ‘Ravanahatha’ and ‘Rudra Veena’ among others.

The ceremonial dinner to be held tonight at the Bharat Mandapam venue of the G20 Leaders Summit in the national capital will celebrate the country’s rich musical heritage – a mix of different styles of classical and contemporary music.

The performance ‘Bharat Vadya Darshanam’ – Musical Journey of India – by the ‘Gaandharva Aaradhyam’ group will be showcased during the dinner hosted by President Murmu.

The 18th G20 Leaders Summit has brought together leaders from the world’s 20 major economies.

“The three-hour-long performance at the G20 special dinner during the special dinner will see ancient musical instruments like “Ravanahatha” to “Rudra Veena,” as well as the tabla and piano being played,” Minister of State Meenakashi Lekhi told ANI.

“We have the legacy of Hindustani and Carnatic music Specially abled artists will also perform at the dinner hosted by President Murmu. This would be a very proud moment for all of us,” Lekhi said.

Earlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally welcomed global leaders and heads of State at the venue with handshakes and hugs.

Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that the gathering of world leaders will chart a new path in human-centric and inclusive development

The theme of this year’s G20 Summit, which is taking place under India’s presidency, “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future” – is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad. Essentially, the theme affirms the value of all life – human, animal, plant, and microorganism-and their interconnectedness on the planet Earth and in the wider universe.

This is the first time that the G20 Summit is being hosted by India.

The countries taking part in the G20 Summit include Nigeria, Argentina, Italy, the AU (represented by Comoros), and South Africa. Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, and Japan Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Egypt, Australia, the United States, Canada, China, UAE, Brazil, Indonesia, and Turkey Spain, Germany, France, Mauritius, the European Union, and Singapore.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 9, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AFP

On the sideline of the G20 summit, Saudi Arabia and India are likely to hold important meetings reflecting bilateral priorities. The exchanges are scheduled to be led by Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammed Bin Salman who will participate in the G20 summit during the weekend and stay on for a State visit on Monday, September 11, when he is expected meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu. There are also reports that in the backdrop of the G20 summit, Saudi Arabia and India are in talks with the US and the UAE for an infrastructure connectivity project.

During the State visit, the Saudi Crown Prince will hold bilateral delegation level meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and co-chair the First Leaders’ Meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council. “They will review the progress made under the two Ministerial Committees of the Strategic Partnership Council i.e. Committee on Political, Security, Social and Cultural Cooperation and the Committee on Economy and Investments Cooperation,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement. Saudi Arabia and India have been increasing synergy which has reflected in the way the military to military and multilateral cooperation broadened between the two governments. Earlier last month, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were among the new permanent members inducted into the BRICS grouping that also included former rival Iran.

Michael Kugelman, South Asia Institute Director of the Wilson Center in Washington DC has hinted that a “infrastructure accord” among the US, India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are under process on the sideline of the G20 summit here saying ”If finalized, it would be a game changer that strengthens connectivity between India and the Middle East and would aim to counter BRI.”

‘Vision 2030’

The visit coincides with a three-day long event to highlight the most significant projects and initiatives under the “Vision 2030” of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Ministry of Media is organising the event in collaboration with NEOM, the Saudi Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Tourism Authority. The event named, “Media Oasis” is expected to be attended by several Saudi ministers as the country plans to showcase ‘Red Sea International’ that showcases the leading tourism objectives of the mountains and seaside resorts along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia. That apart, the exhibition has sections to highlight the sports sector of Saudi Arabia, energy potential of the Saudi economy.

This is the second State visit to India by the Crown Prince and his previous India visit took place in February 2019. Prime Minister Modi had visited Saudi Arabia in October 2019 when the two sides established the Strategic Partnership Council. India and Saudi Arabia have been cooperating in multiple formats to deal with challenges. Most recently, Saudi authorities provided extensive support to Indian air force and navy to evacuate citizens who were caught in the civil war in Sudan. Indian citizens from conflict-torn Sudanese cities  were brought to Jeddah and Port Said from Port Sudan with the help of Saudi naval and air support.

The MEA said, India is the second largest trading partner of Saudi Arabia and  bilateral trade between the two sides reached $52.75 billion during 2022-‘23