Jaishankar, delegates discuss sustainable development as G20 meet kicks off in Varanasi
Prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to deliver a special video address at the meeting on Monday.
Delegates from key G20 member nations were accorded a grand welcome in Varanasi, where the three-day G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting kicked off on Sunday.
Among those who arrived were Australian politician Patrick Conroy, Brazil’s ambassador to India Mauricio Lyrio, European commissioner for international partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, German minister for economic cooperation and development Svenja Schulze, Japanese minister Shunsuke Takei and China’s Zhao Yifan. As many as 200 delegates were expected to attend the meeting.
Prime minister Narendra Modi is expected to deliver a special video address at the meeting on Monday.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar met and discussed with the delegates key issues concerning the global economy. With Germany’s Schulze, he spoke about the Sustainable Development Summit and third-country partnerships.
“Glad to welcome Australian development minister Pat Conroy in Varanasi for the G20 development ministers’ meeting. We spoke about PM Modi’s recent visit to Australia. We also discussed how our two countries can cooperate on development issues in the Pacific,” said Jaishankar.
At the meeting with secretary-general of UNCTAD Rebeca Grynspan, both leaders concurred on G20’s important le in voicing concerns of the Global South. The two also agreed to work closely to ensure the advancement of sustainable development goals (SDG), Jaishankar Jaishankar.
In the evening, Jaishankar led the delegates on a cruise ride and sightseeing of the ghats.
“The meeting takes place amidst mounting developmental challenges that have been further aggravated by the economic slowdown, debt distress, impacts of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, growing poverty and inequality, food and energy insecurity, cost-of-living crisis, global supply-chain disruptions, and geopolitical conflicts and tensions,” said a press statement from the G20 secretariate.
The meeting follows the Voice of the Global South Summit that was hosted by India in January 2023, and the decisions taken at the Varanasi meeting will also contribute to the United Nations SDG Summit that will take place in September in New York.
A total of around 200 delegates are expected to attend the meeting.
Awadh’s Faruwahi dance and Kashi Vishwanath Damru Vadan Samiti gave a grand welcome to the foreign guests at the airport.
Box CM hosts dinner for delegates
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday evening hosted a state dinner for delegates attending the three-day G20 meeting in Varanasi. External affairs minister S Jaishankar was also present.
