PM Modi jets-off to South Africa to attend G20 Summit

Reportedly, PM Modi has embarked on a
three-day visit to South Africa to attend the
G20 summit. Amidst his stay in Johannesburg, the Prime Minister will also attend the sixth IBSA Summit on the sidelines of the G20
While in Johannesburg he will present India’s perspective at the forum in line with its vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’.
This is the first time a G20 Summit is being held on the African continent.
Taking to hid X post he wrote “will be attending the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. This is a particularly special Summit as it is being held in Africa. Various global issues will be discussed there. Will be meeting various world leaders amidst the Summit.
On the margins of the summit, the Prime Minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present in Johannesburg.

In a statement PM Modi said that in the midst of India’s Presidency of the G20 in 2023, the African Union had emerged as a member of the G20.
The Summit will be an opportunity to discuss key global issues. The theme of this year’s G20 has been ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’, by which South Africa has carried forward the outcomes from the previous Summits held in New Delhi and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Prime Minister looks forward to his interactions with leaders of the partner countries, and participate in the 6th IBSA Summit scheduled on the sidelines of the Summit. Amidst his visit, he also looks forward to his interaction with the Indian diaspora in South Africa, which is one of the largest outside India.
The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday had said that Prime Minister Modi is expected to speak in all three sessions of the Summit.
The three sessions of the Summit include “Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies, the role of trade, financing for development and the debt burden”.

The other two sessions are “A Resilient World – the G20’s Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Change, Just Energy Transitions, Food Systems”; and “A Fair and a Just Future for All: Critical Minerals, Decent Work, Artificial Intelligence”.
As per a top official of the MEA on Thursday he would not like to prejudge what would figure in the leaders’ declaration, but all important matters relevant from the perspective of India and the Global South will be “highlighted by their leadership”.
This will be the fourth consecutive summit of the grouping that is being held in the Global South.
Before South Africa, the G20 presidencies were held by Brazil in 2024 India in 2023 and Indonesia in 2022.

Amidst the G20 Summit in 2023 in New Delhi, the African Union emerged as a permanent member of the group of 20 largest economies of the world, with Prime Minister Modi announcing its entry into the grouping.
G20 members include the world’s major economies, representing 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population, according to the website of the G20.
It comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the U.K., the U.S., the European Union, and the African Union.

News Edit KV Raman