New Delhi: G20 leaders in Bali on Wednesday literally endorsed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that “Today’s era must not be of war”.
Adopted as Bali Declaration at the end of the G20 summit in the Indonesian city, it can be considered as a diplomatic success for India, as this was the message which Modi had conveyed to Putin during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Uzbekistan in September this year.
The declaration further accepted that security issues can significantly impact the global economy and accepted that the G20 is not a forum for resolving security-related issues.
“There was a discussion on the issue. We reiterated our national positions as expressed in other fora, including the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, which, in Resolution No. ES-11/1 dated 2 March 2022, as adopted by majority vote (141 votes for, 5 against, 35 abstentions, 12 absent) deplores in the strongest terms the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and demands its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the territory of Ukraine,” it said.
It went on to add that a majority of members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, stressing that it is “causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy – constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks”.
On views held by Russia and China, the Bali declaration said that there have been different assessments and views of the situations and sanctions. It noted that G20 isn’t the forum to resolve security issues and acknowledged that security issues can have significant consequences for the global economy.
To safeguard peace and stability, the declaration further noted that it is important to uphold international law and the multilateral system, including “defending all the Purposes and Principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and adhering to international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and infrastructure in armed conflicts. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. The peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital. Today’s era must not be of war”.
During the SCO summit in Samarkand, in his bilateral meeting on the sidelines with Putin, Modi had said that “now is not the time for war”, while urging Russia to stop its attacks on Ukraine.
Modi, Sunak to confirm new bespoke route for young professionals
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak will meet on Wednesday at the G20 Summit in Bali during which the two leaders will confirm “a new bespoke, reciprocal route” which will open in early 2023 to give young professionals a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take part in a professional and cultural exchange.
Hours after Sunak and Modi met on the sidelines of the summit on Tuesday, the British Prime Minister announced that 3,000 Indians will be granted visas annually to come to the UK.
Under the new UK-India Young Professionals Scheme, the country will offer 3,000 places annually to 18-30 year-old degree educated Indian nationals to come to the UK to live and work here for up to two years.
According to a statement issued by the UK Prime Minister’s Office, India is the first visa-national country to benefit from such a scheme, highlighting the strength of the UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership agreed last year.
“The Indo-Pacific is increasingly crucial for our security and our prosperity. It is teeming with dynamic and fast-growing economies, and the next decade will be defined by what happens in this region,” Sunak said in a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office.
“I know first-hand the incredible value of the deep cultural and historic ties we have with India. I am pleased that even more of India’s brightest young people will now have the opportunity to experience all that life in the UK has to offer, and vice-versa, making our economies and societies richer.”
The scheme will be reciprocal.
“The launch of the scheme is a significant moment both for the bilateral relationship with India and the UK’s wider commitment to forging stronger links with the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen both the economies,” the statement added.
Nearly a quarter of all international students in Britain are from India, and Indian investment into the UK supports 95,000 jobs across the UK.
The UK is also negotiating a trade deal with India, which would build on the UK-India trading relationship, already worth 24 billion pounds, and allow the UK to seize the opportunities presented by India’s growing economy.
Besides Modi, Sunak is also scheduled will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, becoming the first British Prime Minister to meet the latter in almost five years.
He will be clear on the need for China and the UK, as permanent members of the UN Security Council and major global economies, to establish a frank and constructive relationship.
Modi meets S’pore, Italian PMs in Bali; invites them to India
On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met his counterparts from Singapore and Italy and invited them to visit India.
During the meeting with Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong, “the two leaders reiterated their commitment to further expand trade and investment linkages between the two countries particularly in fintech, renewable energy, skill development, health and pharmaceutical sectors”, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
Modi also recalled his meeting with Prime Minister Lee on the sidelines of G20 Summit in Rome last year.
Both the Prime Ministers took note of the strong strategic partnership between India and Singapore and regular high level Ministerial and institutional interactions, including the inaugural session of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, held at New Delhi in September, said the PMO statement.
Modi invited Singapore to invest in various sectors including green economy, infrastructure, and digitalisation and to take advantage of India’s National Infrastructure Pipeline, Asset Monetisation Plan and the Gati Shakti Plan, it said
“Prime Minister Modi appreciated Singapore’s role in India’s Act East Policy and its role as the country coordinator of ASEAN-India relations from 2021-2024. Both leaders reiterated their desire for working together for furthering the India-ASEAN multi-faceted cooperation,” the statement added.
The Prime Minister also conveyed his best wishes to Lee for the future and invited him to visit India for the G20 summit next year.
Meanwhile, during his meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Modi congratulated her on becoming the first Prime Minister of the country
“The two leaders discussed the deepening of bilateral cooperation in various sectors including trade and investment, counter-terrorism, and people to people ties. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the PMO statement said
“Modi looks forward to celebrating 75 years of India-Italy diplomatic relations and welcoming prime minister Meloni in India next year for the G20 summit.”
