G20 Summit 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made his opening remarks on the first day at the G20 Summit in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. He formally inducted African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the G20 – effectively making it G21.
During his remarks, PM Modi offered Comoros President and Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Azali Assoumani, to take his seat as a permanent representative of the G20. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar received the AU chairman at the event. This marks a significant moment for the G20 under India’s presidency and the Prime Minister’s efforts to amplify the voices of the Global South in the world.
Here are top quotes by PM Modi at the G20 Summit.
- Before the proceedings, PM Modi expressed condolences for those affected by the earthquake in Morocco. “I want to express my condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time,” he said.
- Welcoming global leaders in the multilateral summit, PM Modi said, “The 21st century is an important time to show the world a new direction. Today, centuries-old challenges are seeking new solutions from us and that’s why we should move ahead while fulfilling our responsibilities with a human-centric approach.”
- Referring to the Russia-Ukraine war, the Prime Minister mentioned,”After COVID-19, the world if facing an unbelievable crisis. The war has deepened the trust deficit. If we can defeat COVID-19, we can triumph over the trust deficit caused by the war. India calls on the world to convert the trust deficit into belief and faith.”
- “The idea of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas, sabka prayas’ can be guide to the world. Be it the divide between North and South, the distance between East and West, management of food and fuel, terrorism, cyber security, health, energy or water security, we will have to find a solid solution to this for future generations,” he further said.
- “India’s G20 Presidency has become a symbol of ‘Sabka Sath’ inside and outside of the country. This has become people’s G20 in India and over 200 meetings were held in 60 states with crores of people participating in them,” PM Modi said in his address.
The two-day G20 Summit will be held on September 9-10. However, related events, including sherpa meetings, and meetings of finance, energy and central bank deputies will begin from September 23. This is the first time that the G20 Summit is taking place under India’s presidency. Extensive preparations and arrangements have been made for the summit, with the intention of showcasing both India’s soft power as well as modern face.
(with inputs from agencies)
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