Motto of hosting G20 is getting world ready for India, says Jaishankar

Speaking about the significance of India hosting the G20 this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that the motto of India hosting G20 is getting the world ready for India and India ready for the world.

"The motto of us hosting the G20 is about getting the world ready for India and India ready for the world," the EAM said while interacting with the public in Bengaluru.

The minister said: "We have taken up the G20 at an important time in the world. We consulted 125 countries who are not part of the G20 and came up with the issues being faced by them."

"Moreover, countries generally do this (G20 meetings) in their capital cities and 2-3 other cities. Our way of doing this - and it is democratisation of foreign policy - is to do it across 60 cities, across states and union territories," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar said that India wants every city and every state to be more aware of the world because, in a globalised world, that is where our opportunities are. "While a city like Bengaluru is used to foreigners coming and visiting, for other cities, it is a big deal and they are quite excited," he said.

"If you look at these 200 meetings and the number of people who will come, they are the most powerful influencers of global opinion. We want them to see all of India, see the diversity, see the pluralism, multiple cultures, cuisines and art and get back to their country with a more informed sense of India," Jaishankar added.

Recently, Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan said that the G20 under India's Presidency has turned into a people's movement.

Muraleedharan was speaking on the second day of the second G20 Sherpas meeting under India's G20 Presidency at Kumarakom village of Kerala.

"We had 46 meetings across 26 countries. The biggest difference in this G20 under India's Presidency compared to the earlier G20 is that this is not an exclusive diplomatic exercise, it has become a people's movement. Amongst the various topics discussed, we have suggested and is newly added is disaster risk education, which is a major problem world is facing", Muraleedharan said.

Minister further added that "Going through the pandemic period helped in major learnings in the science and technology, including health. This is a new topic in G20. Then there are start-ups. Start-up 20 is a new engagement group in this."

Speaking about the challenges, he said, "Even before we took the Presidency, ultimately for any conflict that we face, diplomacy and dialogue is the only way forward and continue to make efforts and we are very optimistic that things will be in the positive route."

India's G20 Presidency reached a milestone on Tuesday as it marked a half-century of G20 meets. Three meets commenced on Tuesday in Mumbai, Vizag and Ramnagar, taking the total to 50.

India assumed the G20 Presidency from Indonesia on December 1 last year and will convene the G20 Leaders' Summit for the first time later this year. India's Presidency will continue till November 30, 2023.

India's G20 Presidency is in the true spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or the 'World is One Family'.

The Group of Twenty (G20) is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, United Kingdom and the US and the European Union.

The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.