NEW DELHI: Delhi has turned into a hub of diplomatic activity till the weekend with a large number of Foreign Ministers from some of the world’s most economically powerful countries having either arrived or being on the way.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and UK Foreign Secretary have already arrived as have Foreign Minister from Turkiye Mevlut Cavusoglu, who held his first meeting on the margins of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meet with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, and thanked him for Operation Dost initiated by India after earthquakes in Türkiye.
The G20 meet on March 1 and 2 overlaps with the MEA’s flagship event Raisina Dialogue from March 2 to 4.
Japan announced that it would send State Minister for Foreign Affairs Yamada Kenji to attend the G20 Ministerial. He will also stand in for Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi for the Quad Ministerial with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Jaishankar and Australian FM Penny Wong.
For the developing world, the Foreign Ministers’ meeting, preceded by NSA Ajit Doval’s visits to Washington, London and Moscow, could set the ball rolling for a peace process in Ukraine. The year 2022 has seen the sharpest annual rise in debt burdens for developing countries and if the conflict continues, the current year could witness even higher prices of fertiliser and food.
India has set a hectic schedule of meetings that will see many principals of G20 meeting frequently. Its simultaneous chairing of SCO as well as participation in Quad could also help it contribute to bridging gaps in the positions between the West and Moscow.
India has also pushed back at criticism that it undermined its own leadership of the G20 by not managing to get their finance ministers to agree on a communique at the Bangaluru Ministerial on February 24 and 25.
Sources said, “Our endeavour (in the outcome document) was to reflect the Bali consensus in the G20 Finance Ministers’ Meeting. This was expressed in the Chair’s Summary and Outcome Document. Therefore, any criticism is misplaced and factually inaccurate.”
“The fact is that it is India’s considered and balanced position that contributed in forging the Bali Declaration,” they added.
Moscow also said it would support India’s G20 presidency in its commitment to promote a unifying agenda. “We aim to work together with our Indian colleagues to achieve the desired result, showing the greatest possible flexibility. At the same time, we will firmly defend Russia’s fundamental interests,” said the Russian Foreign Ministry ahead of G20 Foreign Ministers’ meet in Delhi
Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Secretary James will launch the Young Professionals Scheme of two-year visas, meet Jaishankar and announce the creation of the UK’s first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region.
“India is also an emerging global leader on technology and there are immense opportunities for better collaboration between us in this sector. That is why we will be sending our first Tech Envoy to the Indo-Pacific region, to maximise the tech expertise of both countries,” he said in a statement.
Mexico Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard will also travel to Mumbai to inaugurate the Mexican consulate.
The Foreign Ministers of Bangladesh, Singapore, Spain, the Netherlands and Egypt will also be at the summit on the special invitation of India.