PM Modi departs for a three-day South African visit; global issues to be discussed at the G-20 summit

New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for South Africa today. Departing from New Delhi for Johannesburg, PM Modi will participate in the G-20 summit. Ahead of his visit, senior Foreign Ministry official Sudhakar Dalela stated that all important issues concerning India and the Global South will be strongly raised at the G-20 summit. He stated that it is too early to say what will be included in the Leaders’ Declaration, but India’s priorities will be given full consideration.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the G-20 summit is being held in a country in the Global South. Dalela explained that for the first time, the summit is being held on the African continent, which will increase global attention to issues concerning Africa and developing countries. It is worth noting that the African Union received permanent membership at the 2023 G-20 summit in New Delhi. South Africa is chairing the group this year, and the 20th summit will be held in Johannesburg.

Prime Minister Modi will be there from November 21st to 23rd. He also has several bilateral engagements planned, details of which are being finalized. Dalela stated that this will be the Prime Minister’s fourth official visit to South Africa. Previously, he visited for a bilateral visit in 2016 and for the BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.

Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability is the theme
Dalela stated that South Africa’s presidency year is based on the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.” Four key priority areas have been identified, aiming to include the needs of developing countries on the global agenda. During its presidency, India emphasized issues such as digital public infrastructure, food security, and debt sustainability. Dalela stated that these topics received special attention in meetings throughout the year and hoped they would be included in the summit declaration.

The G-20 is a group of the world’s 20 major economies…
The G-20 is a group of the world’s 20 major economies, representing a large share of global GDP, trade, and population. Dalela said that while terrorism is an important issue for India, the G-20 is primarily a forum focused on economic issues, and all discussions are taking place in that direction. He also said that it would not be appropriate to comment on which leaders will attend the summit.