INDIA'S G20 CONSENSUS

Middle East-South Asia-Europe Corridor seeks to counter China's global might. From Ukraine war to biofuels, India forges a consensus, surprises many By Team BW

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IN a deeply fractured, polarised, world, to get a significantly large, but disparate bloc of countries, accounting for 85 per cent of global GDP and 75 per cent of global trade, to agree on some thing as contentious as the Ukraine war, is nothing short of a coup. The recently concluded G20 summit in New Delhi managed to do precisely this, raising India’s global profile, and adding sheen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration

The G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration made no direct mention of the Ukraine war. While reiterating that “today’s era must not be of war,” it said: “We note with deep concern the immense human suffering and the adverse impact of wars and conflicts around the world,” and added: “…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”. That the G20 statement made no mention of Russia’s aggression drew flak from Ukraine.

Avoiding any direct mention of Russia in the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration was in direct contrast to the Bali G20 sentiment last year. In Bali, most member countries had slammed Russia for its aggression against Ukraine “in strongest words”.

Growing Clout Of Global South