On Wednesday Prime Minister Modi left for Buenos Aires, Argentina for G20 summit. It will be attended by world leaders from Top 20 economies, to share ideas and issue a joint declaration based on the policy recommendations prepared at the G20 meetings held throughout the year.
According to reports, PM Modi will be part of trilateral talks with USA President Trump and Japan PM Shinzo Abe. PM Modi has not met with President Trump since June, and he recently met PM Abe in Japan. The talks with the USA is said to be aimed at resolving the trade tensions with the US, that emerged after US sanctions on China.
Issues to be addressed by PM Modi at G20 summit
The host country Argentina has decided the theme of the summit, that is ‘Building Consensus for a Fair and Sustainable Development.’ The whole summit has been divided into three parts. The first is ‘Putting People First’ and that is essentially on the global economy, on the economic outlook or the future of work. PM Modi is the lead intervener of this division.
PM Modi, according to Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, will emphasise the importance of controlling the oil price volatility. Other major issue includes women empowerment. PM Modi will also highlight the success of his schemes launched in the country and how they are contributing to making lives of citizens better. These schemes may include the Jan Dhan Yojana, the Aadhaar Scheme, the GST, the Start-Ups and the Mudra Yojana as ways of financial inclusion and efforts to reach out to the lowest rungs of the society and economy, Vijay Gokhale said.
The second session talks of Building Consensus, a topic of importance at this time certainly, and this will deal with international trade, finance, taxation, sustainable development and climate change. And the third session is called ‘Embracing Opportunities’ and these are related to energy, infrastructure, sustainable food security.
In the division of ‘Embracing Opportunities’, PM Modi may talk about steps undertaken by India in the field of clean and renewable energy. PM Modi is also likely to urge countries within the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn (counties located near the equator) to join the International Solar Alliance.
Scheduled Bilateral meetings with other leaders
Along with meeting president Trump and PM Abe, PM Modi will hold bilateral meetings with several other leaders of G20.
The foreign secretary said PM Modi will also meet United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Mauricio Macri, the President of Argentina; Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He will also meet the prime ministers of Spain, Jamaica, the Netherlands and the president of the European Union and European Council. A bilateral meeting between Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron is also being worked out, Gokhale said.
PM Modi after speaking at Leaders Retreat, will leave for India on December 2.
