As this year’s host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged that Ukraine won’t overshadow his focus on the needs developing nations in the Global South. (PTI)
In an exclusive interview, ORF America Executive Director Dhruv Jaishankar told News18 that the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit does not impact India
India is taking full advantage of the G20 Presidency and occupies leading space on global issues, Observer Research Foundation (ORF) America Executive Director Dhruv Jaishankar told News18 in an exclusive interview on Friday as the G20 Summit kicked off in the national capital.
“Delhi is shining bright. It is interesting to note India’s leading space in global matters. India is taking full advantage of its G20 Presidency,” he said.
The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit, Jaishankar said, does not impact India. “India invited them… it (their absence) does not impact India. It says more about China and Russia, and not about India.”
The think-tank head added that the US understands that New Delhi and Moscow enjoy a defence relationship.
“India is deepening its ties with many countries and we see less of China there… India-US, India- Europe, India-UAE etc. We are seeing a number of formulations in the international order. India is a part of the new configurations,” he added.
India assumed the year-long G20 Presidency in December last year and the Leaders’ Summit in Delhi comes amid several geopolitical challenges, including the Ukraine war, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, economic slowdown, a worsening climate emergency, growing poverty, and inequalities.
As this year’s host, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged that Ukraine won’t overshadow his focus on the needs developing nations in the Global South.
The G20 encompasses the world’s wealthiest countries in the Group of Seven, including the U.S., Canada, Britain, Japan, Germany and the European Union as a bloc, along with Russia, China and others. About half of the G20 countries are found in the Global South and PM Modi has pushed to add the African Union as a bloc member.
