All eyes are set on the two-day G20 foreign ministers’ meeting that will kick-start on Wednesday in New Delhi. Foreign ministers of almost all G20 countries, including Japan’s Hayashi Yoshimasa, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, China’s Qin Gang and Canada’s Melanie Joly, are set to attend the meetings at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC) at Raisina Hills.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, foreign ministers, including Brazil’s Mauro Vieira, Mauritius’s Alan Ganoo and International Labour Organisation Sherpa Richard Marc Samans arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and several dignitaries are scheduled to share their perspectives on the emerging global challenges and international matters, an official release stated.
According to a tentative schedule of the G20 meeting seen by News18, Wednesday will see the arrival of a large number of diplomats and foreign ministers. The state dinner will be held at 7 pm in Taj Palace on Sardar Patel Marg and will be closed to the media.
Rajesh Wadhwa, Executive Chef at Taj Palace, told News18 that the menu for the dinner would have a special focus on millet foods as India is celebrating the International Year of Millets. With an emphasis on diversity, he has also asked his team to make the food less spicy and focus more on flavours.
On Thursday, foreign ministers and heads of delegations will arrive at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre (RBCC) between 8:30-8:55 am. Session 1 will begin at 9 am and will continue till 11:30 am and will include panels on ‘Strengthening Multilateralism and Need for Reforms’. ‘Food and Energy Security’ and ‘Development Cooperation.’
The 11:30 am-12:30 pm time slot has been allotted for bilateral meetings and lunch will be served between 12:30 pm-1:30 pm.
Another session from 1:30-4 pm would be conducted in which delegations will discuss on ‘Counter-Terrorism: New and Emerging Threats,’ ‘Global Skill Mapping and Talent Pool’ and ‘Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).’
Five-star hotels in and around Lutyen’s Delhi are fully booked for the event. The Taj Palace on Sardar Patel Marg, Taj Mansingh, Hotel Leela, ITC, and Oberoi are a few properties where the diplomats will be staying for the next few days.
Ukraine Conflict
The G20 foreign ministers’ meeting will take place amidst an escalating conflict between Russia and the West over the ongoing Ukraine crisis, which entered its second year this week.
Notable attendees include Josep Borrell Fontelles, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajan, Italy’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong from Australia, Prince Faisal bin Farhan from Saudi Arabia, Retno Marsudi from Indonesia, and Santiago Cafiero from Argentina.
Earlier in the day, Japanese media reported Japan Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is unlikely to attend the meeting due to a scheduling conflict with the parliament session. His attendance was expected to be significant as a foreign ministerial meeting of the Quad countries on the sidelines of the G20 meeting was being planned.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to hold a series of bilateral talks on Wednesday, including with his Russian and Chinese counterparts.
Ahead of Borrell’s visit, the EU said the High Representative will convey a strong message on Russia’s “blatant violation” of international law and the UN Charter, as well as the global consequences, particularly on energy and food insecurity.
India, which has been advocating for a resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy, has not yet condemned Russia’s invasion.
Several foreign ministers of non-G20 countries, including Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, were invited to attend the meeting as guests.
Read all the Latest India News here
Comments
0 comment