India credits emerging economies for G20 breakthrough

“On the Russia-Ukraine crisis, India worked very closely with Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia. I want to say that it was the emerging markets which played a very key role. There was very tough, very ruthless negotiations for several days non-stop,” said India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant during a press briefing.

Brazil will hold the Presidency of the G20 in 2024 and South Africa will take on the role in 2025.

“Obviously, because of the ongoing conflict and the strong views about it, considerable time was spent especially in the last few days in regard to geopolitical issues which really centred around the war in Ukraine,” said Jaishankar during a press briefing. India’s top diplomat stated that “everybody helped” but credited emerging markets with taking a lead on these issues.

G20 member countries broke months of deadlock to reach consensus on a joint statement, christened the Delhi Declaration, during the Leaders’ summit on Saturday. From debt relief and climate change to the Ukraine war, the declaration outlined a pathway forward for the world’s leading economies on key issues.

Perhaps the most significant development was that the deeply divided grouping was able to agree on language relating to the Russia-Ukraine war. Prior to the Delhi summit, consensus was elusive as Russia and China resisted the inclusion of heavy criticism of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. During last year’s Bali Summit, the joint declaration stated that “most members” criticised Russia’s war in Ukraine. It also called for countries to uphold international law and respect principles laid down in the UN Charter. However, during India’s presidency, Russia and China refused to endorse similar language on Ukraine.

It was initially unclear whether G20 member countries would be able to agree to a joint communique, due to highly publicised differences between different camps on the issue of how the Ukraine war would be referred to in the joint declaration. However, the Delhi declaration managed to bridge these gaps through signficantly milder language on the Ukraine war, with no overt condemnation of Russia.

“Concerning the war in Ukraine, while recalling the discussion in Bali, we reiterated our national positions and resolutions adopted at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly and underscored that all states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety. In line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible,” read the Delhi declaration, which significantly resembles last year’s Bali declaration.

Updated: 09 Sep 2023, 06:56 PM IST