New Delhi, (Tamsil Shahezad Khan): The capital city of India is buzzing with excitement as it welcomes the world leaders for the 18th G20 Summit, which is being held for the first time under India's presidency. The two-day summit, which begins today at the Bharat Mandapam, will focus on the theme of "Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic".
The summit will witness the participation of 19 member countries, the European Union and several invited guest countries and international organizations. Among the prominent leaders who have arrived in Delhi are Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The summit will also mark the first in-person meeting of some of the leaders since the outbreak of the pandemic. The leaders are expected to discuss various global issues such as health, climate change, trade, development, digitalization, energy, infrastructure, innovation and women empowerment. The summit will also aim to strengthen the multilateral cooperation and coordination among the G20 members and other stakeholders to address the challenges posed by the pandemic and its aftermath.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is hosting the summit, has expressed his hope that the summit will provide an opportunity to "forge a new global consensus on key issues". He has also said that India's vision for the summit is guided by the spirit of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas" (Together with all, Development for all, Trust of all).
The summit will be inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind at 10 am today. The inaugural session will be followed by three plenary sessions on health and life sciences, economic and financial issues and sustainable development. The leaders will also hold bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit. The summit will conclude with a joint declaration by the leaders on September 10.
