New Delhi, October 23: Though at least half a dozen leaders have dropped out, next week’s G-20 summit is important for India as it will be the in-waiting Chair of the world’s most powerful economic grouping from this meeting in Rome.
India will hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and will convene the G20 leaders’ summit in 2023 for the first time. Indonesia will take over the chair from Italy and India will join both as the “G-20 troika” which comprises past, present and future chairs of G-20.
Though the Summit is scheduled to be held from October 30-31, Prime Minister Modi may depart for Rome a day earlier on October 28 as his audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican has been confirmed for the next day. The MEA was among the several foreign offices that had been trying for a call-on by their leader on the Pope on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.
Prime Minister Modi will then attend the 26th meeting of a UN sponsored meeting on climate change in Glasgow. There are indications that he may stay on in Glasgow for another day to co-chair an event with UK PM Boris Johnson.
PM Modi has been leading India’s representation at all successive G20 summits since 2014. India is a founder-member of the G20 which has not changed in size since its inception in 1999.
