New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday credited emerging economies for helping the G20 break a geopolitical deadlock over the war in Ukraine.
“On the Russia-Ukraine crisis, India worked very closely with Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia. I want to say that it was the emerging markets that played a very key role. Very tough and brutal negotiations have been going on non-stop for several days,” Indian G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said at a press conference.
Brazil will hold the G20 presidency in 2024 and South Africa will assume this role in 2025.
“Obviously, because of the ongoing conflict and strong views on it, a lot of time has been spent in recent days on geopolitical issues which have really been centered around the war in Ukraine,” Jaishankar said at a press conference. stated that “everyone helped,” but credited emerging markets for taking the lead on these issues.
G20 member states broke a months-long deadlock to reach consensus on a joint statement called the Delhi Declaration at the Leaders’ Summit on Saturday. From debt relief and climate change to the war in Ukraine, the statement outlined a path forward for the world’s leading economies on key issues.
Perhaps the most important development was that the deeply divided group was able to agree on language regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine. Ahead of the Delhi summit, consensus was elusive as Russia and China resisted taking heavy criticism of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. At last year’s Bali summit, the joint statement said that “most members” criticized Russia’s war in Ukraine. Ukraine. It also called on countries to uphold international law and respect the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. However, during India’s presidency, Russia and China refused to endorse similar language on Ukraine.
It was initially unclear whether G20 member states would be able to agree to a joint communiqué, due to well-publicized disagreements between different camps over how the joint statement would refer to the war in Ukraine. However, the Delhi statement managed to bridge these gaps by using significantly milder language on the war in Ukraine, without outright condemnation of Russia.
“With regard to the war in Ukraine, recalling the discussion in Bali, we reiterated our national positions and resolutions adopted in the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, and underlined that all states must act in a manner consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN. UN Charter in its entirety. In accordance with the UN Charter, all States must refrain from the threat or use of force in pursuit of territorial acquisition contrary to the territorial integrity, sovereignty or political independence of any State. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is impermissible,” said the Delhi statement, which is significantly similar to last year’s Bali statement.
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Updated: Sep 9, 2023 6:56 PM IST