India’s diplomatic outreach: MOS MEA Muraleedharan highlights Gulf & Africa Focus at G20 Summit

India's diplomatic outreach: MOS MEA Muraleedharan highlights Gulf & Africa Focus at G20 SummitWIONNew Delhi, IndiaWritten By: Sidhant SibalUpdated: Sep 05, 2023, 09:33 PM IST Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan speaks to WION in Delhi. Photograph:(WION)

Story highlights

India's outreach extends beyond the Gulf, as the nation is set to host the largest representation from Africa in the history of G20 summits

Ahead of the mega G20 summit in Delhi, Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, has pointed to how India is prepared to host several leaders and key focus areas including special invitees from the Gulf and Africa. In a special gesture, India has extended invitations to two Gulf countries, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman, as well as several African nations, to participate in the upcoming G20 summit scheduled to take place in Delhi on September 9th and 10th.

Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, expressed India's enthusiasm for welcoming special invitees from the Gulf region. "This summit sees three participants from the Gulf region, other than Saudi Arabia being a permanent member of the G20, the UAE and Oman are part of this, as special invitees," stated Minister Muraleedharan.

India's outreach extends beyond the Gulf, as the nation is set to host the largest representation from Africa in the history of G20 summits. Countries including Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritius, and Comoros, represented by the African Union (AU) Chair, will participate. Minister Muraleedharan underscored India's commitment to engaging with Africa based on the continent's needs and requirements.

trending now

"India's view about Africa has been put forward by the Prime Minister in the speech that he made in the Ugandan Parliament in Kampala, where he said that India's engagement with Africa will be on the basis of the requirement and the needs of Africa," he explained. Full interview:

WION: How momentous is this occasion for India as it hosts the big summit?

V Muraleedharan: India being the largest democracy and the mother of democracy, as Prime Minister always mentions, for us, definitely for every citizen of the country, it's a great occasion to host the leaders of the most, I can say, economically prosperous, the most powerful 20 heads of states, heads of governments and is the forum where 75% of the whole world's economies old talks, such a forum to have its meeting in India. It's a great occasion. And at the same time, I would also say that this is an opportunity for India to put forward the issues that India has been taking up at various international fora, especially the developing countries, the issues that concern the global south, India's achievements in various fields like the digital public infrastructure, the issues of climate change, all these issues, this is an opportunity. So, both at the substantive level as well as a host country, this gives a major opportunity for India to host the G20, so the whole country is looking forward to it and being part of MEA, personally also and as MEA is looking forward to the summit, on 9th and 10th.

WION: So how does India plan to put its imprints on the global governance post this G 20 summit because India's keen to shape the global order as well?

V Muraleedharan: It's a multipolar world, The views that India has been putting forward, especially of inclusive growth, especially of sustainable development, issues where living in harmony with nature. So all these aspects are being recognized by the whole world, more and more. So our solutions for many of the problems of the world, we feel that this will be an opportunity when India can put forward and there can be a consensus on those issues, which will be accepted by the most powerful of the whole world. And then that will contribute to the future of the world. So we feel that during this G20, India we'll be able to put forward those and bring about a consensus on those issues.

WION: So you have been involved deeply in the Gulf region, and you have been visiting many of the Gulf countries, India has invited many Gulf countries including UAE as well to attend the G 20. Summit. So if you can talk about the rationale of India focusing on many of these Gulf countries where it's UAE or Oman, and of course Saudi Arabia is a permanent member.

V Muraleedharan: Of course, this summit sees three participants from the Gulf region, other than Saudi Arabia being a permanent member of the G20, the UAE and Oman are part of this, as special invitees. For India, UAE our relationship is of multiple dimensions. One is the Indian diaspora, the largest number of Indian diaspora in a particular region, I would say that the Middle East is that region. So having representation from that region that goes along with. Second is the energy security part. And the third is that India and UAE have been friends for a long time. And together, we feel we can take forward the direction in which we would like to see how the world would shape in the coming days. So in that, we considered the Middle East countries who we have invited, they will become partners with India and as friends of India, we both can take forward this viewpoint with the direction in which we would like to go ahead.

WION: Another focus has been Africa as well. We are keen to make sure that the African Union becomes a permanent invitee, during this year's G 20 summit, how do you see this focus area by the Government of India?

V Muraleedharan: This G20 will have representation from Africa in the largest number. Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritius and Comoros being the AU chair. India's view about Africa has been put forward by the Prime Minister in the speech that he made in the Ugandan Parliament in Kampala, where he said that India's engagement with Africa will be on the basis of the requirements and the needs of Africa. The Prime Minister the other day, very clearly mentioned in an interview, that when we are planning to take forward the agenda for the whole world where the developing countries matter much, Africa has a very prominent role. And in the new, global scenario that is evolving, the days when the UN were formed in the days when the impression about Africa was something different. Now the situation has changed. So if the developing countries, developing nations, ' concerns are to be taken into consideration, then the 54 countries of Africa matter much. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had initiated this in 2015 when after he took over in 2014, we had a meeting of all the governments of Africa, all the countries of Africa 54 countries, and their heads of states or heads of government attended the African conference that we held. So the issues of Africa are already being discussed in G20, but this is the first time they are participating in G20. The Prime Minister has written to all the heads of state who are participants of the G20 to make the African Union, Chair of the African Union a permanent member of the G20. So it again goes in sync with what India has been proposing. This is a multipolar world, and the concerns of the global south have to be reflected in any international fora, any fora that discuss about economy, that discuss about climate change, that discuss about food security, these issues wherever it is discussed, without Africa getting due represented, getting representation that discussion cannot be completed.

WION: How confident you are that the African Union will become a permanent invitee, because we have seen countries coming out in full support, US, France, are you confident that this will be that pivotal moment that the African Union will become a member?

V Muraleedharan: See, I wouldn't like to give an answer to that because I would leave it to the summit. Because it's the decision of the heads of states who will be gathering. But as my foreign minister, Dr Jaishankar says optimism is the basis of any diplomatic activity. Anybody who is involved in diplomatic activity, he has to be optimistic. So I'm part of the diplomatic community now being a member of the MEA team, so I'm optimistic about it.

WION: Sir, you mentioned our Global South, we hosted the voice of the Global South Summit. How do you see that summit feeding into this summit, the G 20 Summit and how India can lead the global south as well?

V Muraleedharan: See, when the Prime Minister took over as the chair of the G20 Presidency, the first thing that came to action was how the concerns of the global south can get reflected in the G20s activities. Because of the many issues that we discuss, whether it is food security, whether it is climate change, whether it is the financial aspects of climate change, debt, loans, all these issues concern the global south. Practically the global south didn't have much voice within the G20 forum. So that's why under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi we had the voice of the global south. Almost 125 countries participated where they expressed their concerns, their issues. So, we feel that unless these issues are discussed, G 20 cannot become a forum where it is discussing the issues of the whole world. When you keep the issues of two-thirds of the global population out of the whole discussions, you cannot claim to discuss the whole world. So that's why we have discussed the issues of the global south in the voice of the Global South and then those issues will definitely get reflected in the deliberations that will happen and it has already got reflected during the many events that have been held as part of the G20 Presidency.

WION: So my final question is on the logistics, but you must be very busy. This is the G20 week, I mean just two days left for the summit and leaders to arrive, if you can talk about the operations that are underway, the preparedness…

V Muraleedharan: See any task is easy, if there is scientific planning and planning in advance. So the government and the ministry has been making these preparations quite in advance. So we have a full Secretariat working in Sushma Swaraj Bhawan for more than a year and the entire planning has the stamp of the whole of government because Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes in the whole of government approach, so the entire government is involved, not only in government, this is the first time that G20 has become people's G20. So that's why I would say that it's not only the government, it is the entire country that is involved. So I have the experience of attending 2 such events. One was the health working group meeting in Trivandrum and the second was the Sherpa meeting in Kumarakom. During the earlier presidencies, or even in India for any international events, Vigyan Bhawan was equated with India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the message that Vigyan Bhawan is not India. India lives in its 28 states, union territories. So we will be holding meetings, in every Union Territory, every state, from Arunachal Pradesh to Ladakh, and up to Kanyakumari and Kutch. So, with all these preparations, it becomes easier when there is involvement of the people. So, the Prime Minister has been making an effort, his point has been that any activity to become fruitful, has to become a people's movement. So, we have been making it a people's movement. The logistic part also is being taken care of because people are already aware, it is not a sudden clampdown that no nobody should travel to Delhi, Delhi is hosting such an event. People are tuned to the G 20 presidency of India and that the heads of states are coming in, so the logistics part of course, the whole of Delhi is ready, there is going to be a warm welcome, there is going to be a luxurious welcome and it will be in the spirit of the ethos of India that is we treat our guests as Gods. So in spirit, that spirit, every delegate who is coming to India for this G20 Summit, he will be accorded a warm, luxurious welcome.

Story highlights

trending now

recommended stories

recommended stories

RELATED

About The Author

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Contacts

Recent News