[ad_1]
New Delhi: External affairs minister, S Jaishankar, will skip the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting, slated for later this month in Rio de Janeiro, due to a scheduling conflict with India’s premier geopolitical conference, the Raisina Dialogue, people aware of the matter told Mint.
This is significant development, given India plays a crucial role in the G20 as part of the leadership trio, including Brazil and South Africa, tasked with steering the organization’s discussions and decisions throughout the year. The G20 meeting is set for 21-22 February, directly overlapping with the Raisina Dialogue, scheduled for 21-23 February.
Queries mailed to the ministry of external affairs went unanswered at press time.
The G20 functions under a troika system, comprising the organization’s past, present, and next presidents, designed to ensure continuity and coordination in addressing global challenges, as per a document by the Brazilian government outlining its priorities for its G20 Presidency, which it took over from India on 1 December last year.
“The country that holds the G20 presidency is responsible for coordinating the group’s agenda in permanent contact with the other members so as to respond to pressing issues on the global agenda. The other members of the troika provide support to the country that holds the presidency to ensure the continuity of policies and agendas,” the document goes on to say, laying out the importance of the troika system.
This structure played a vital role during India’s tenure, with support from Brazil and the preceding president, Indonesia.
With Jaishankar absent, minister of state for external affairs V Muraleedharan will represent India at the G20 meeting.
Meanwhile, the Raisina Dialogue, known for attracting top diplomats from around the world, including many from G20 nations, will miss out on these high-level visits this year.
The G20 is a major global economic forum, representing 85% of the world’s GDP, 75% of international trade, and about two-thirds of the global population. The African Union’s recent inclusion as a member during India’s presidency underscores the group’s significance.
Launched in 2016, the Raisina Dialogue, co-hosted by the Observer Research Foundation and the external affairs ministry, serves as India’s foremost platform for discussing global geopolitical issues. Along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has featured prominent leaders such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expected to be the chief guest at the 2024 edition of the dialogue.
Here’s your comprehensive 3-minute summary of all the things Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said in her Budget speech: Click to download!
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Published: 14 Feb 2024, 09:31 AM IST
[ad_2]
Source link