World leaders from the wealthiest nations are gathering in New Delhi for the G20 Leaders’ Summit. Over two days, the capital city will host prominent figures such as US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Mohammad Bin Salman Al-Saud, Crown Prince, Suk Yeol Yoon, President of the Republic of Korea, Shaikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates; Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil; Joko Widodo, President of Republic of Indonesia; Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Turkiye and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, among others. The arrival of these leaders is expected to start from tomorrow (Sept 8, 2023).
The G20 Summit will take place at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre, with a primary focus on pressing issues like the economy, the environment, and sustainable development. Notably, this summit will miss the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the first time since his rise to power in 2012. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin is also absent.
UNITED KINGDOM
Rishi Sunak, the United Kingdom’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister, is among the early arrivals. He is scheduled to land in Delhi at 1.40 pm on September 8, Friday, and will be welcomed by Union Minister for State Ashwini Kumar Choubey.
Ahead of his visit, Sunak commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, stating, “I pay tribute to Prime Minister Modi’s leadership over the last year, and it’s wonderful to see India demonstrating such global leadership.”
Following Sunak’s arrival, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will touch down at Palam Air Force Station at 2.15 pm. He, too, will be received by MoS Ashwini Kumar Choubey. This marks Kishida’s second visit to India, focused on strengthening Indo-Japan ties, following a visit in March of this year.
UNITED STATES
All eyes are on US President Joe Biden, set to arrive at 6.55 pm on Friday, with MoS Gen (retd) VK Singh welcoming him at the airport.
There was a brief suspense regarding Biden’s attendance, following his wife, US First Lady Jill Biden’s positive Covid-19 test. However, the 80-year-old US President received clearance to travel on September 6, with his test results remaining negative.
CANADA
Following Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will arrive at 7 pm, greeted by MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Trudeau’s visit comes amid strained relations between New Delhi and Ottawa, primarily due to increased activities of Khalistani separatist groups in Canada. Canada has also unexpectedly paused negotiations for a proposed trade treaty with India.
CHINA
Chinese Premier Li Qiang will land at 7.45 pm, representing Chinese President Xi Jinping, who opted to skip the G20 summit in Delhi. This decision has fuelled speculation in the political arena.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has emphasized that Xi Jinping’s absence is “not unusual” and won’t hinder negotiations for a consensus communique during the summit. Moreover, tensions between the two nations have escalated due to Beijing’s new map showing Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin plateau as China’s territory.
BRAZIL
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will reach tomorrow at around 20.45 pm and will be welcomed by Nityanand Rai, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs.
INDONESIA
President Joko Widodo, will reach around 21.15 pm and will be welcomed by Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Turkiye
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will arrive at around 22. 15 pm and will be welcomed by Shantanu Thakur, Minister of State, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Egypt
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi is arriving at around 17.45 pm and will be received by the Minister of State, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.