New Delhi: India’s one-year presidency of the Group of 20 Nations culminates with a marquee summit in New Delhi this weekend, to be attended by nearly 30 heads of state and governments around the world.
In this one year, India has striven “to bridge divides, break barriers and sow seeds of collaboration”, PM Narendra Modi wrote in an editorial Thursday, promising that the weekend conclave would “reach the last mile and leave no one behind”.
Notable absentees this weekend are Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has avoided international get-togethers since the invasion of Ukraine, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose country will be represented by Premier Li Qiang.
Here are the live updates:
9:40 pm: White House releases joint statement from India and the United States.
9:20 pm: Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives in Delhi for the G20 Summit.
9:02 pm: World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives in Delhi for the G-20 Summit.
#WATCH | G-20 in India: World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives in Delhi for the G-20 Summit pic.twitter.com/I8viLjiRI0
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
8:57 pm: Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrives in Delhi.
#WATCH | G-20 in India | Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrives in Delhi for the G-20 Summit pic.twitter.com/s2JcsVl0lX
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
8:40 pm: Modi and Biden’s discussions include a wide range of issues and will further deepen the bond between India and USA, according to the PMO.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden are holding talks at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi. Their discussions include a wide range of issues and will further deepen the bond between India and USA: PMO pic.twitter.com/FxZ7SwWhde
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
8.32 pm: PM Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Delhi.
8:21 pm: Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrives in Delhi to participate in the G20 Summit.
#WATCH | G-20 in India | Indonesian President Joko Widodo arrives in Delhi for the G-20 Summit#G20India2023 pic.twitter.com/MtOQ5ezDvA
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
8:11 pm: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Delhi.
#WATCH | G-20 in India | Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives in Delhi for the G-20 Summit#G20India2023 pic.twitter.com/zdwDH8TZUf
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
8:10 pm: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau received by MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Delhi.
#WATCH | G-20 in India | Canadian PM Justin Trudeau arrives in Delhi for the G-20 Summit
He was received by MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar.#G20India2023 pic.twitter.com/QydfUkVVg0
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
7:50 pm: As President Biden, PM Modi and US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen meet before G20 summit, questions have been asked about press access on the trip. The official White House schedule did not show that the usual pool of reporters would be allowed in for the bilateral meeting. Read this report here to know more.
7:06 pm: US President Joe Biden lands in Delhi for the G20 Summit.
6:55 pm: Watch: PM Modi, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.
6:45 pm: UN Chief António Guterres, who is in Delhi for the G20 Summit, Friday said India’s presidency for the meet will lead to the kind of “transformative change” which “the world needs”.
VIDEO | "India's presidency for #G20Summit2023 will lead to kind of transformative change our world needs," says António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations at a press conference. pic.twitter.com/ZTmrEeRho6
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 8, 2023
6:40 pm: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrive in New Delhi for the G20 Summit.
#WATCH | G 20 in India: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives in Delhi for the G 20 Summit pic.twitter.com/1dkClSAMz8
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
VIDEO | Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrives in New Delhi for #G20India2023. He is received by Union minister @Rajeev_GoI.#G20SummitDelhi pic.twitter.com/qhI1RMc6Gy
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 8, 2023
6:30 pm: PM Rishi Sunak said the India-UK relationship was in “good health” and both nations were keen on deepening the relationship. He also said, “The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is an obvious way for us to do that, which is why it remains our priority….I hope we can conclude a successful FTA. I think we can strengthen our security relationship as well.”
“I’m particularly excited about is increasing the collaboration between our incredible researchers, our scientific community, our universities,” he added.
6:07 pm: Platforms like India’s UPI, Aadhaar can enhance financial inclusion, says World Bank in its G20 report titled G20 policy recommendations for advancing financial inclusion and productivity gains through digital public infrastructure. Read more about it here.
4:30 pm: My firm belief is that the G20 Summit will chart a new path in human-centric and inclusive development,’ says PM Modi.
4:28 pm: Many Tibetan refugees staged a protest in New Delhi Friday, demanding that the “occupation” of their country by China be discussed during the two-day G20 summit in the capital. Read here.
4:25 pm: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Delhi for the G20 Summit.
3:15 pm: At a presser, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said the New Delhi leaders’ declaration was almost ready, and it will be recommended to the dignitaries during the Summit. He also said, “The New Delhi leaders’ declaration that you will see post the Summit, you will see it as a voice of Global South and the developing countries. No document in the world would have such a strong voice for the Global South and the developing countries…”
#WATCH | G 20 in India | G 20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant says, "The New Delhi leaders' declaration that you will see post the Summit, you will see it as a Voice of Global South and the developing countries. No document in the world would have such a strong voice for the Global South and… pic.twitter.com/dBFdMtA89r
— ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2023
2:22 pm: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrives at Delhi airport Friday.
VIDEO | UK Prime Minister @RishiSunak receives a traditional welcome upon his arrival at Delhi airport.#G20India2023 #G20SummitDelhi pic.twitter.com/zzzIehA8LA
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 8, 2023
2:20 pm: G20 is an important conversation and it is a good thing that India is hosting it,” says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while addressing the international media at Brussels Press Club, Belgium.
2:16 pm: As delegates from all corners of the globe fly into the national capital for the G20 Summit being held over 9 and 10 September, animal lovers in Delhi are outraged by the municipal authorities’ alleged illegal operations of forcibly picking up stray dogs. Read ThePrint report by Muneef Khan for more on it.
1:55 pm: The G20 leaders’ meet is taking place at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre. It will feature diverse traditions of 29 countries, including those of the invitees to the summit this year. Here are the crafts stalls that await delegates:
VIDEO | Visuals of stalls inside Bharat Mandapam, the venue of G20 Summit in Delhi, scheduled to be held on September 9-10. pic.twitter.com/yQtsL2INKG
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 8, 2023
1:44 pm: A key focus area for the US during the Delhi summit is ‘finalisation of a joint infrastructure deal that will involve not just US and India, but also Saudi Arabia, Turkey & possibly Israel’. Read ThePrint report by Snehesh Alex Philip to know more.
1:40 pm: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was received by MoS for Railways and Textiles Darshana Jardosh in Delhi as she arrives for the G20 Summit.
1:05 pm: Hours ahead of the G20 Summit, PM Narendra Modi Friday tweeted about the bilateral meetings that he will hold with several world leaders as they descend in New Delhi to participate in the final summit.
This evening, I look forward to three bilateral meetings at my residence.
I will be meeting Mauritius PM @KumarJugnauth, Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and @POTUS @JoeBiden.
The meetings will give an opportunity to review India's bilateral ties with these nations and further…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 8, 2023