US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Argentine President Alberto Fernández have already landed in New Delhi for the high-level meeting that begins this Saturday, September 9. The presidents of Russia and China decided not to travel, while the United States and the European Union warned of difficulties in reaching a final joint declaration at the close of the two-day summit.
An armored New Delhi began to receive this Friday, September 8, the leaders of the world’s main economies for the G20 Summit of Heads of State and Government, which will take place over the weekend.
In a controversial move, the Government of India ordered a total lockdown in the central area of the country’s capital, as well as the deployment of 130,000 police and paramilitaries and Air Force support planes. Other controversial actions in preparation for the meeting were the demolition of precarious houses near the headquarters of the summit or the scaring away of monkeys and stray dogs.
With markets and schools closed and traffic disrupted, the usual bustle of central New Delhi gave way to a standstill in the heart of the city, where the leaders will stay during the summit, which will take place in a luxurious newly built convention center .
british prime minister Rishi Sunakhis Italian counterpart Giorgia Melonithe Argentine president Alberto Fernandez and the head of the European Council, Charles-Michelwere some of the first to arrive in India for the match.
Later it was the turn of the arrival of the Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterresand the US president Joe Bidenwho will hold a face-to-face meeting with the host, the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The participation of the French president is also confirmed Emmanuel MacronGerman chancellor Olaf SchölzSaudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salmanof the Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishidaamong others.
Also arriving this Friday was the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, who heads his country’s delegation to the absence of President Vladimir Putin. This will be one of the great absentees along with the Chinese president Xi Jinpingwhich he chose to send to Premier Li Qiang.
A summit dominated by the West, but with difficulties in building consensus
Despite the absence of their presidents, both Russia and China say they are willing to cooperate with the G20 countries.
Before Lavrov’s arrival, in a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry focused on his “efforts” to avoid “explaining the world’s humanitarian and economic problems solely through the conflict in Ukraine.”
![Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrives at a hotel ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India on September 8, 2023.](https://s.france24.com/media/display/24f2443a-4e4f-11ee-af49-005056a90284/FOTO%20LAVROV%20LLEGADA%20INDIA%20G20.jpg)
That statement clashes with the words of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who targeted Russia for deepening a food crisis from the blockade of grain exports from Ukraine through the Black Sea.
The European leader called Moscow’s approach “cynical”, which “is creating more difficulties for developing countries.” “By deliberately attacking Ukraine’s ports, the Kremlin is depriving people of desperately needed food,” he said.
For his part, the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Mao Ning, said that Beijing seeks to work with all parties to achieve a positive outcome at the summit. That was his response to accusations by Sunak, who blamed China for delaying agreements on various issues, including the war in Ukraine.
In this context, despite the dominance of the presence of Western leaders, the prospects of getting a joint statement are difficult. Although India said it had “almost ready” a draft of that text, both the United States and the European Union put cold cloths on the possibility of a consensus.
The US Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen, admitted that “it’s been difficult to put together that language for the statement, but I know that those who are negotiating continue to talk about it and are working hard on it.”
“It is difficult to predict whether it will be possible to reach an agreement on the declaration,” added Charles Michel. “We are still negotiating.”
In addition to Russia and China, another of the great absentees -not counting the president of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, who contracted Covid-19- is the Ukrainian president Volodímir Zelenski. India decided not to invite the Ukrainian president to avoid the focus of the meeting being the war started by Russia.
However, it is impossible for the subject to be left aside. Western leaders want any final statement to include a strong condemnation of the invasion, while India has suggested that the common text condemn the suffering caused by the conflict, but also reflect Moscow’s and Beijing’s position that the G20 summit should not it is the place for geopolitics.
The climate crisis, another point of contention
The other big issue dividing the waters among leaders is the climate crisis, more precisely, how to adopt a unified approach to reducing emissions and transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy.
The nations that make up the G20 are responsible for almost 80% of global emissions and 85% of the world’s gross domestic product, so it is key that they lead the strongest actions to curb climate change, experts warn.
![A man walks past the venue for the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Task Force meeting in Chennai, India, on July 27, 2023.](https://s.france24.com/media/display/3da91b9c-2d85-11ee-b59a-005056a90321/000_33PX7UU.jpg)
According to the Reuters agency, there are three points to be resolved among the G20 leaders: peak its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, a commitment to gradually reduce the use of fossil fuels and triple renewable energy targets.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, is leading the rejection of cutting fossil fuels and opposing increasing renewable energy targets, along with China, Russia, South Africa and Indonesia.
According to environmental experts, if the G20 does not set itself more ambitious goals in its fight against the climate crisis, it would further jeopardize the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5ºC and hamper prospects for success. of the COP28 climate summit, to be held in December in the United Arab Emirates.
With Reuters and EFE
#Leaders #arrive #India #G20 #summit #marked #division #absences