Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday departed for a three-day visit to South Africa. During his trip, the Prime Minister will attend the 20th G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city and economic hub. The summit, themed 'Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability', will be the fourth consecutive summit of the Group of 20 countries held in the Global South.
Leaders from the G20 are meeting for the summit this weekend without any representation from the United States after President Donald Trump announced a boycott over his widely rejected claims that South Africa was persecuting its Afrikaner white minority.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping is also not attending the summit, as he has cut back on international travel.
What's On PM Modi's Agenda?
At the Summit, PM Modi is expected to speak in all three sessions on inclusive economic growth, climate resilience, and artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister will put forth India's perspectives on the G20 agenda, according to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.
On the margins of the summit, PM Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders present in Johannesburg. He will also participate in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders' Meeting being hosted by South Africa.
"This will be a particularly special summit given that it will be the first G20 Summit being held in Africa. During India's presidency of the G20 in 2023, the African Union had become a member of the G20," the Prime Minister said in his departure statement ahead of his visit.
"The Summit will be an opportunity to discuss key global issues. The theme of this year's G20 has been 'Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability', by which South Africa has carried forward the outcomes from the previous summits held in New Delhi, India, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I will present India's perspective at the Summit in line with our vision of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and 'One Earth, One Family and One Future,' he added.
The three sessions are titled: Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden; A Resilient World - the G20's Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems; and, A Fair and a Just Future for All: Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence.
India, under PM Modi, had spearheaded efforts that led to the African Union joining the G20 - an achievement termed as a landmark during India's G20 presidency in 2023.
