Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi arrives in India on Friday to participate in the Group of 20 (G20) Summit, which will be held in the city of New Delhi.
The summit is being held at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose country currently holds the presidency of the G20.
Other world leaders expected to attend include US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman and Japan’s Fumio Kishida.
In addition, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Argentine President Alberto Fernández, and IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva are among the top leaders who arrived in New Delhi on Friday morning for the G20 summit.
During the summit, Al-Sisi is expected to focus on issues that concern developing countries, particularly African countries.
Egypt’s President will emphasize the need to enhance international efforts to facilitate the integration of developing countries into the global economy and to provide effective support for them to achieve sustainable development goals.
Al-Sisi will also stress the importance of advanced countries committing to their obligations within international agreements and mechanisms to address climate change and enabling developing countries to increase their reliance on new and renewable energy sources.
The Egyptian presidency spokesperson said Al-Sisi’s visit to India will also include holding some bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 summit.
India’s G20 sherpa, Amitabh Kant, said on Friday that the summit’s concluding statement, the Leaders’ Declaration, will be a “voice” of the global south and developing countries.
“New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration is almost ready,” Kant told a news conference. “This declaration will be recommended to the leaders.”
G20: What’s at stake
The G20, a group of 19 countries and the European Union that account for 80% of the world’s economic output. It was established in 1999 in response to the Asian Financial Crisis. It was formed by the Group of Seven (G7) and other significant economic players to address global economic issues. Initially, the group had 22 members in 1997, temporarily expanded to 33 in early 1999, and eventually settled with 19 countries and the European Union as its current composition in September of the same year. Together, these member nations account for approximately 80% of the world’s economic production.
India’s G20 Presidency
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made India’s G20 presidency a major priority. He has conducted a year-long promotional campaign that has included over 200 meetings in 56 cities, posters featuring large images of Modi promoting the summit, and extensive educational efforts about India’s presidency in schools.
He has set an ambitious agenda for the summit, including:
- Promoting global economic growth: The summit will discuss ways to boost global economic growth, which has been slowing in recent years.
- Addressing climate change: The summit will also discuss ways to address climate change, a major challenge facing the global community.
- Strengthening global health security: It will also discuss ways to strengthen global health security, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The G20’s evolving membership
The G20 is also expected to discuss the issue of its evolving membership. The African Union (AU) is seeking full membership in the G20. Reuters reported that the Group of 20 will grant membership to the African Union.
The G20’s relevance
The G20 has been criticized for being ineffective in addressing some of the world’s most pressing challenges. However, the summit in Bali could be an opportunity for the group to reassert its relevance and show that it is capable of making progress on important issues.
The stakes are high
The G20 summit is a major event that will have a significant impact on the global economy and the future of the planet. The stakes are high, and the world will be watching to see what the G20 leaders can achieve.
Here are some of the key issues that are likely to be discussed at the summit:
- The war in Ukraine: The war in Ukraine is likely to be a major focus of the summit. The G20 leaders will need to discuss ways to mitigate the impact of the war on the global economy.
- The global economic slowdown: The global economy is slowing, and the leaders will need to discuss ways to boost growth.
- Climate change: Climate change is another major challenge that the leaders will need to address. They will need to discuss ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a clean energy economy.
- Food security: The war in Ukraine has disrupted global food supplies, and the leaders will need to discuss ways to ensure food security.
The summit is a critical opportunity for the world’s leaders to come together and address these challenges. The decisions they make at the summit will have a major impact on the future of the planet.