New Delhi [India], November 20 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that key issues relevant to India and the broader Global South will be at the forefront of discussions during the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
During a special briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to South Africa, Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (ER) at the Ministry of External Affairs, emphasized the continued focus on themes central to developing nations. “The G20 is a very important forum, and over the last 3–4 years, starting with Indonesia and followed by our own successful presidency, we were able to pilot and take new initiatives on several themes impacting the Global South,” he said. “We are very happy that these discussions have carried forward under the presidency of Brazil and now in South Africa. A number of achievements have been made across various tracks, and we are pleased that issues of importance to the Global South are at the centre of discussion.”
Prime Minister Modi is set to attend the summit from November 21 to 23, marking a historic moment as the first G20 meeting ever hosted on the African continent. This will be his fourth official visit to South Africa, following his bilateral trip in 2016 and his participation in the BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
This year’s summit marks the fourth consecutive G20 presidency led by the Global South—following Indonesia (2022), India (2023), and Brazil (2024). South Africa’s presidency is focused on the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability,” with the G20 representing economies that account for 85 percent of global GDP and 75 percent of international trade.
Dalela noted that bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit are currently being organized. “This summit provides a valuable opportunity for leaders to interact with one another. Yes, there will be bilateral meetings with world leaders participating in the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, and we are working out the details,” he said.
He highlighted the strong ties between India and South Africa, noting that the two democracies work closely across three pillars of cooperation: political coordination, trilateral collaboration—including people-to-people engagement—and joint efforts under the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) framework, especially in areas related to food security and development.
PM Modi will also participate in the IBSA Leaders’ Meeting, where the three nations are expected to review progress under these pillars. Dalela referenced a recent meeting of IBSA foreign ministers held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, where they issued a statement reaffirming shared priorities.
Addressing questions on media reports that US President Donald Trump will not attend the summit, Dalela said he would not comment on the participation of other countries. However, Trump has publicly stated that no US government official will attend, citing human rights concerns in South Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa responded that the US absence is “their loss” and affirmed that the summit will proceed as scheduled. (ANI)
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