The G20 summit will officially start in New Delhi at the end of the week, but already presents a difficult political environement.
Leaders representing 80% of the global GDP and 60% of the world’s population will meet at the end of this week in New Delhi, India. For the first time in its history, the G20 summit will be held in this country.
India will host leaders from the 20 largest economies in the world whilst hoping to increase its geopolitical position on the global stage. In 2023, it overtook China as the world’s most populated country and is ready to take on significant global challenges.
Unfortunately for India, however, the current geopolitical situation is extremely tense, and a joint declaration might be harder to achieve than usual. The G20 was born as a cooperation platform, but the current climate is anything but cooperative.
Chinese President Xi Jinping recently confirmed his absence from the summit, sending its prime minister Li Qiang instead.
Xi Jinping and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi recently met face-to-face at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, where members approved an expansion of their economic bloc.
That, however, has not solved the diplomatic tensions between India and China, whose border dispute on the Himalayas resulted in deadly clashes in 2020. Neither country has backed down from their claims yet, and the situation remains tense.
The absence of China’s President will be notable, and already a sign of weakness for this year’s G20 summit.
The Ukraine divide
Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the summit. At the 2022 G20 meeting, Russia was represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who will also attend the summit this year.
India also refused the participation of Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, citing that the G20 was a cooperation platform and not the place for political debate.
Nevertheless, the conflict in Ukraine will be an uncomfortable elephant in the room, and India’s refusal to take sides might hamper its dreams of grandeur. The Kremlin already demanded any joint declaration follow the Russian position on Ukraine, or else face sabotage by the country.
A similar outcome is highly unlikely, as Western leaders including US President Joe Biden will be present in person.
According to a White House statement, the United States’ aims for the G20 summit include the reformation of the World Bank and boosting the fight against climate change.
India too is a crucial player in the climate change discussion. Recent floodings have devastated some areas near New Delhi, leaving more than 100 people dead. India is hopeful that world leaders will witness the city’s destruction and be more willing to support climate actions.
