New Delhi: The 18th G20 Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 9 and 10. This year, India holds the presidency for the first time. This summit is to be attended by several heads of state, top officials from the European Union, guest countries, and dignitaries of international organizations.
The theme of this year of the summit is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
Key leaders attending the summit include:
United States: President Joe Biden will be in India from September 7-10 for the summit. The focus will be on collaborative efforts among G20 nations to address global challenges like transitioning to clean energy, combatting climate change, dealing with the impact of the Ukraine conflict, and enhancing the capacity of multilateral development banks like the World Bank to alleviate poverty.
China: Chinese President Xi Jinping is not coming to India to attend this week’s G20 summit, as per a Reuters report. Chinese Premier of the State Council, Li Qiang is anticipated to represent Beijing during the September 9–10 meeting on behalf of Xi. Earlier, Xi was expected to attend the summit and was supposed to stay at the Taj Hotel.
Russia: Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, conveyed his inability to participate in the G20 Summit in New Delhi. The Russian President also informed that Russia will be represented by the country’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov.
Canada: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed his presence and stressed his commitment to standing with Ukraine. “I will be at the G20 in a week… and we will continue to make sure that the world is standing with Ukraine…” Trudeau said.
United Kingdom: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be present for the meeting. Besides the G20 discussions, Sunak will engage in separate talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding UK-India trade negotiations.
Japan: Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will begin a seven-day tour of Indonesia and India on Tuesday. He is scheduled to attend the meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the G20 summit.
Australia: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the summit on September 9-10. The Australian government stated that the Prime Minister would attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10.
Republic of Korea: President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend, showing strong support for India’s G20 presidency and its efforts.
France: President Emmanuel Macron will participate in the summit. His accommodation will be at the Claridges Hotel in New Delhi.
South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed his attendance at the G20 summit and expressed full support for India’s presidency. This year, India sought permanent membership for the African Union in G20.
Turkey: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan will attend the G20 summit. He is scheduled to visit India and focus his discussions on climate change, according to media reports.
Argentina: President Alberto Fernandez has confirmed his attendance at the G20 summit in New Delhi.
Nigeria: Nigerian President Bola Tinubu will likely attend the summit and will try to promote foreign investment in Africa’s largest economy and mobilise global capital to develop infrastructure.
Leaders who are not attending the summit
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen are likely to give the G20 summit a miss this year.
Countries that have not confirmed their attendance
Notably, there is uncertainty about the attendance of countries such as Saudi Arabia, Italy, Germany, Indonesia, and Brazil.
Additionally, the summit will witness the participation of “guest countries,” including Oman, Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Singapore, the UAE, Spain, and Nigeria.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to participate, and there is hope for a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bangladesh Deputy High Commissioner Andalib Elias said, “We are also hoping that there will also be a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PM Sheikh Hasina.”