In an address on the first day of the 19th G20 summit underway at Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Global South is most impacted by 'food, fuel and fertilizer crisis' and policies should be made keeping that in mind.
"I would like to say that countries of the Global South are most adversely impacted by the food, fuel and fertiliser crisis caused by global conflicts. So our discussions can only be successful when we keep in mind the challenges and priorities of the Global South", PM Modi said.
In his address, the prime minister also spoke about social inclusion and India's fight against hunger and poverty. Modi said India had pulled 250 million people out of poverty in the last 10 years. He said his government was distributing free foodgrains to 800 million people in the country.
PM emphasised his governments policy of ‘Back to Basics and March to Future’ was yielding results. He said India feels the way forward was to foster women-led development.
PM Modi also praised the Brazilian presidency for taking forward the "people-centric decisions" taken at the summit in New Delhi last year while adding that the Indian G20 presidency's call for "One Earth, One Family, One Future” continued to resonate at the Rio conversations.
On the sidelines of the summit, PM Modi also held meetings with top world leaders to discuss the outlines of future initiatives aimed at fostering stronger bilateral ties.
Concluding a two-day trip to Nigeria, PM Modi on Sunday reached the Brazilian capital to attend the annual multinational summit.
Besides the state heads from Italy, Indonesia, Norway, Portugal, Egypt and South Korea, the prime minister also met International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath and European Union (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen.
Modi in G20: Meeting with leaders
PM Modi meets Georgia Meloni: On Monday, PM Modi met his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni. According to PTI, their discussion encompassed ways to further deepen ties in defence, security, trade and technology.
“Happy to have met Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the Rio de Janeiro G20 Summit. Our talks centred around deepening ties in defence, security, trade and technology. We also talked about how to boost cooperation in culture, education and other such areas. India-Italy friendship can greatly contribute to a better planet," Modi said in a post on X.
Stating that it is always a “great pleasure” to meet Modi, Meloni too termed the meeting as a “precious opportunity” for dialogue that allowed the two countries “to reaffirm our common commitment to advance the India-Italy strategic partnership” with the announcement of the action plan.
Modi-Starmer meeting: PM Modi also met his UK counterpart Keir Starmer and expressed eagerness to work closely in areas such as technology, green energy, security, innovation and technology.
"Had an extremely productive meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Rio de Janeiro. For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UK is of immense priority."
"In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as technology, green energy, security, innovation and technology. We also want to add strength to trade as well as cultural linkages," the prime minister added.
Modi meets Indonesian President: PM Narendra Modi also held bilateral talks with Prabowo Subianto and discussed ways to improve ties in security and healthcare.
Moreover, commemorating 75 years of bilateral ties, PM Modi congratulated President Prabowo and discussed ways to work together for further strengthening the India-Indonesia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
“Delighted to meet President Prabowo Subianto during the G20 Summit in Brazil. This year is special as we are marking 75 years of India-Indonesia diplomatic relations. Our talks focussed on improving ties in commerce, security, healthcare, pharmaceuticals and more,” Modi said in a post on X, along with pictures of the two leaders.
Gita Gopinath meets Modi: During the summit, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath also met Modi.
“Great to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit in Rio. He conveyed the many successes of India in reducing hunger and poverty. Numerous creative initiatives for the world to learn from,” the India-born economist said on X.
Modi replied to her post, saying, “India stands committed to promoting food security and eliminating poverty. We will build on our successes and harness our collective strength and resources to ensure a brighter future for all.”
Meeting with Biden, European Union (EU) President: Earlier on Monday, PM Modi also met US President Joe Biden and briefly interacted with him. Further deatilsof the discussion is yet to be disclosed.
After his meeting with European Union (EU) President Ursula von der Leyen, Modi posted on X, “Met @EU_Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. India will keep working closely with the EU for global good.”
