Russian President Vladimir Putin will most likely attend the G20 summit in September in India’s capital New Delhi, Bloomberg has reported citing officials.

According to the reports, Kremlin is working to clear Putin’s schedule to make it possible for the Russian president to participate in the gathering after he had to skip&nbsp;the last two summits.

No official confirmation has been issued in this regard, even though India has formally invited Putin and Kremlin has accepted it.

The report further mentions that Kremlin is gearing up for an annual economic forum in Vladivostok, which was scheduled to place for the eve of the September 9-10 summit.

But it was pushed to a week later to give Putin greater flexibility and open the possibility that senior officials from&nbsp;India&nbsp;and China might attend the forum, Bloomberg report&nbsp;quoting sources said.

<h2>Ukraine war: Will the battle for Bakhmut be a turning point for Russia?</h2>

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Last year, Putin did not participate in the G20 event in Bali, Indonesia, and instead sent Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in his place amidst pressure from the West over the Ukraine invasion

A year before that as well Putin did not attend the leaders’ gathering in Rome as he was planning his invasion of Ukraine.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinping-nominates-longtime-ally-li-qiang-as-chinas-new-premier-570794">Xi Jinping appoints longtime ally and confidant Li Qiang as China’s new premier</a>

This comes days after the G20 foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi in early March saw bitter divisions over the Russia-Ukraine war.

India had wanted to focus on other issues affecting developing nations, but it said the differences over Ukraine "could not be reconciled".

"We tried, but the gap between the countries was too much," India's foreign minister S Jaishankar said.

On the sidelines of the meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Lavrov for about 10 minutes and told him that the West would stand by Ukraine "for as long as it takes", a senior state department official said.

Blinken also pressed Russia to rejoin the New Start nuclear arms control treaty that it recently withdrew from and abide by the terms. 
 
&nbsp;

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Russian President Vladimir Putin will most likely attend the G20 summit in September in India’s capital New Delhi, Bloomberg has reported citing officials. According to the reports, Kremlin is working to clear Putin’s schedule to make it possible for the Russian president to participate in the gathering after he had to skip the last two summits.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will most likely attend the G20 summit in September in India’s capital New Delhi, Bloomberg has reported citing officials. According to the reports, Kremlin is working to clear Putin’s schedule to make it possible for the Russian president to participate in the gathering after he had to skip the last two summits. No official confirmation has been issued in this regard, even though India has formally invited Putin and Kremlin has accepted it. The report further mentions that Kremlin is gearing up for an annual economic forum in Vladivostok, which was scheduled to place for the eve of the September 9-10 summit. But it was pushed to a week later to give Putin greater flexibility and open the possibility that senior officials from India and China might attend the forum, Bloomberg report quoting sources said. Ukraine war: Will the battle for Bakhmut be a turning point for Russia? Last year, Putin did not participate in the G20 event in Bali, Indonesia, and instead sent Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in his place amidst pressure from the West over the Ukraine invasion A year before that as well Putin did not attend the leaders’ gathering in Rome as he was planning his invasion of Ukraine. Also read | Xi Jinping appoints longtime ally and confidant Li Qiang as China’s new premier This comes days after the G20 foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi in early March saw bitter divisions over the Russia-Ukraine war. India had wanted to focus on other issues affecting developing nations, but it said the differences over Ukraine "could not be reconciled". "We tried, but the gap between the countries was too much," India's foreign minister S Jaishankar said. On the sidelines of the meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Lavrov for about 10 minutes and told him that the West would stand by Ukraine "for as long as it takes", a senior state department official said. Blinken also pressed Russia to rejoin the New Start nuclear arms control treaty that it recently withdrew from and abide by the terms. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Russian President Vladimir Putin likely to attend G20 summit in India: Report

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of G20 meet were "constructive" but that the US said nothing new. Both leaders met during the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in India last week. Russia and US are at two opposite ends of political manoeuvres especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year.&nbsp;

Lavrov was speaking during an interview on Russian state TV. He said that he spoke with Blinken for 10 minutes and both of them discussed nuclear arms issues and the conflict in Ukraine. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since the Russian invasion.

"We spoke constructively, without emotions, we shook hands," Lavrov said.

"Everything I heard was a position that has already been expressed and underlined in public many times before. I gave my honest, detailed assessment about the New START treaty, and why we saw it necessary to suspend it," he said.

Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Russian participation in the new START nuclear arms treaty. He accused the US of trying to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia in the Ukraine conflict. 
 
Russia said on Friday it was still in contact with Washington over the treaty, but held out little prospect of returning to it.

Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 last year. After sustained gains in the first months of the conflict, Russian forces had to retreat in face of Ukrainian counter-offensive. Russian&nbsp;forces are currently trying very hard to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut.

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
 
&nbsp;

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of G20 meet were "constructive" but that the US said nothing new.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of G20 meet were "constructive" but that the US said nothing new. Both leaders met during the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in India last week. Russia and US are at two opposite ends of political manoeuvres especially after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year. Lavrov was speaking during an interview on Russian state TV. He said that he spoke with Blinken for 10 minutes and both of them discussed nuclear arms issues and the conflict in Ukraine. This was the first meeting between the two leaders since the Russian invasion. "We spoke constructively, without emotions, we shook hands," Lavrov said. "Everything I heard was a position that has already been expressed and underlined in public many times before. I gave my honest, detailed assessment about the New START treaty, and why we saw it necessary to suspend it," he said. Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended Russian participation in the new START nuclear arms treaty. He accused the US of trying to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia in the Ukraine conflict. Russia said on Friday it was still in contact with Washington over the treaty, but held out little prospect of returning to it. Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 last year. After sustained gains in the first months of the conflict, Russian forces had to retreat in face of Ukrainian counter-offensive. Russian forces are currently trying very hard to capture the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Talks with Blinken at G20 ‘constructive’ but US said nothing new: Lavrov

Maldives' Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid spoke to WION's Diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal on a range of issues. When asked how he sees India's G20 presidency with reference to giving a voice to the Global South, Shahid said that he is glad that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had kept it inclusive and is gunning to champion every nation's cause. He said that he expects India to take up every nation's cause in the south, especially as the world emerges from the pandemic.

Maldives Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid speaks to WION on India's G20 Presidency

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor has expressed her belief that India's leadership in the G20 is an opportunity for developing countries to set their issues on the world stage.

South Africa's Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor sees India's G20 leadership as opportunity for Global South

Alan Ganoo, the foreign minister of Mauritius, expressed gratitude for India's invitation to participate in the G20 proceedings and saw it as proof of the "special relationship" between the two countries.

He said that it was a unique opportunity for Mauritius to make its voice heard as a small island developing state and to raise issues related to economic development, climate change, and global threats. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Mauritius' foreign minister said, "Be the presidency of the G20, the chairmanship of the G20 and be it in terms of leadership of the countries of the South, I think India is due to the respect that it commands and the unanimity that it attracts."

Ganoo also expressed concern about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Mauritius, including rising costs of imports and adverse effects on the cost of living, despite the subsidies offered by the Mauritian government. He hoped that India's leadership would help resolve the conflict, which was dominating discussions at the G20 Foreign Ministers and Finance Ministers meeting. While there was no unanimity on the issue, Ganoo hoped that India's "good offices" would help find a diplomatic way to resolve the conflict.

Here is the complete interview:&nbsp;

WION: With me is the foreign minister of Mauritius, a country with which India has a strong relationship. So welcome to WION, my first question to you is, how do you see the relationship between the two countries between India and Mauritius?&nbsp;

Alan Ganoo: I must tell you that the historic ties that bind us are based on bonds of friendship and mutual respect. We have in fact, a privileged relationship with India, brotherly ties and this is manifested at different levels. For example, we are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations with India. India has been supporting us since our independence and even before an India has been present in terms of help and support on different levels, education, &nbsp;capacity building, climate change, housing, just name it recently the flagship project of the light rail has been a project which has been so popular that it has transformed in fact the urban areas of Mauritius and has been a catalyst for growth and economic development. This is why Mauritius is so grateful to India to the Republic of India and also to Prime Minister Modi who has definitely accelerated the pace of support and help to our country.&nbsp;

 
WION: India is the chair of the G20 and has invited your country to participate in the group's proceedings. How do you see yourself being invited to the G20 proceedings?&nbsp;

Alan Ganoo: This is another proof; this is another testimony of the special relationship that exists between our two countries. On this score so we are very grateful to the Indian Prime Minister for having made this gesture to us by inviting us, a small island developing state to the table. So it has been a unique opportunity for us to be here. That's why as foreign minister, representing Mauritius, participated in the works of the deliberations. I intervened twice, in fact, and it was an opportunity for us to make the voice of a small island developing state and for us to flag the different issues with regard to develop economic development, climate change, the threats that the country, all the countries of the world have to face today. And I must tell you, that it was a very successful G 20 meeting, and we are happy that we have been invited to this meeting.

WION: When it comes to India being the voice of the Global South, what can you say? India hosted the voice of the global South summit in the month of January. So what's your view about India taking that mantle of leadership?

Alan Ganoo: Be the Presidency of the G20, the chairmanship of the G20 and be it in terms of leadership of the countries of the South, I think India is due to the respect that it commands and the unanimity that it attracts, I think it has been very positive. It's a good thing that India is taking over the leadership and with regard to the G20, I must tell you that it is an organization which usually works on the basis of consensus. But now with India as the Chair, I think the G20 will be strengthened because it will mean more consensus and more unanimity. I think the G20 countries will continue to see the issue that unites them, in spite of the issues that divide them, of course, there is division and there will be division. What is more important is the issues on which the G20 countries agree, which will enable them to forge ahead.

WION: So Russia Ukraine conflict, how has it impacted your country, we saw the shadow of the conflict at the G20 Foreign Ministers and the finance ministers meet as well.

Alan Ganoo: It is inevitable that most countries of the world, not to say all countries of the world have been impacted by this conflict in Europe and a small country like Mauritius has not been spared. As you know we are a small island in the Indian Ocean. We are far from Europe, from Asia. And with the rising cost of freight, with the soaring prices of petroleum products. We import 75% of our food requirements and inevitably, this has had a very adverse effect on the cost of living in Mauritius. In spite of the fact that I must tell you that our prime minister, under his leadership, a lot of subsidies have been offered to basic commodities, on cooking gas subsidy and transport, because we have a very strong welfare state. &nbsp;You know, education is free in Mauritius, health services are free,&nbsp; and transport is free for students and old age people. All Mauritians are eligible for an old age pension at the age of 60. But in spite of that, because of all the adverse impact on the war of the country, and also, we were going through a paucity of in a recovery era, as you know, how are we going out of the post-COVID pandemic that we suffered the full blast of the war in Europe. So in spite of all the subsidies given to the population, we must recognize that the cost of living has gone up to the detriment of the population. So, unfortunately, the war is still on. And what we wish is that the different leaders concerned, go back to the table, and we find a diplomatic way to resolve that conflict.&nbsp;

WION: And how do you see India's role when it comes to resolving the conflict at the foreign ministers meeting that issue was dominating, so much over that there was a divide, but the Indian Prime Minister has several times said that this is not an era of war.

Alan Ganoo: I think there couldn't have been a more appropriate time for India to take over the leadership of the G20. Because inspired by the Gandhian philosophy, I think India commands much respect from the developing countries of the south and even vis-a-vis the Western bloc. So, India, in fact, the ideal Chair of the G20 and as you know, Mr Blinken was here, Foreign Minister of Russia was here. Unfortunately, there couldn't be any unanimity or consensus. On this question of the conflict in Ukraine. As you know, the references to the war in the document, of course, there was no agreement. Save for this issue there was an agreement on all the other issues for example, on climate change, and development cooperation, cyber criminality and food security, energy security, &nbsp;G20 agreed on all the documents on all these issues, but unfortunately, I don't think anybody expected an agreement, a unanimity on the issue with regard to the conflict in Ukraine. But let us hope, as I just told you, that with the help of India, with the good offices of India, we will see the light in the future with regard to that conflict, because there is an urgency. The world is being impacted by this conflict. The poor countries will become poorer if this war continues, as you know, millions and millions of people in Africa will go back to poverty. There is a threat of famine in poor countries, so we are living in difficult times and the wish of everybody is that India uses all the diplomacy that it can muster in order to help to find a peaceful solution to this country.&nbsp;

WION: So my last question is on the Chagos islands issue, what's your view? How do you see India's role when it comes to this issue, which is very close to your government and your people's heart?&nbsp;

Alan Ganoo: Yeah, of course, we have to be grateful to India for having supported us all throughout this issue. And we are grateful to other countries in the world. The majority of countries in the world voted for us. In the resolution before the United Nations as you know it was a massive victory for Mauritius. The United Nations General Assembly and also the case before the International Court of Justice, the ruling also were in our favour. Now the time is for us to recuperate the islands from the British administration. Here again, it is only diplomacy that can work. As you know negotiations are taking place between the two parties. Now, the UK government has agreed to start negotiations and let us hope we will have a successful conclusion. And on that score also, we are relying on friendly countries to help us to retrieve our four islands because the ICJ has clearly decreed that Mauritius has sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. Now it's a question of Mauritius recuperating the part of its territory which was separated which was excised from the Mauritius territory, some 50 years ago.

WION: So on a very lighter note, Holi is coming, it connects the 2 countries. &nbsp;So what's the plan like, Holi Hai..

Alan Ganoo: You know, all Hindu festivals are celebrated in Mauritius, the Diwali, Holi and also religious festivals like Mahashivratri, Durga Puja and just name it. Mauritius is a multi-ethnic country also. We live in peace in harmony, and the other festivals of the other communities are also celebrated sometimes on a national level. And it's a public holiday, for example, for Christmas or Easter. We are a shining example of national unity in spite of the fact that we are a diverse population in fact, Unity in Diversity is our motto. &nbsp;On Holi festival, everywhere in Mauritius, you will see the different colours and people will enjoy and will celebrate it, as they usually do. Probably during the COVID years, it was not the same. But now that the covid is behind us, all the festivals are being celebrated in a very dignified and very flamboyant manner. And for example, MahaShivratri, which was celebrated a few weeks ago. People will go to the sacred lake, Ganga Talao.

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Alan Ganoo, the foreign minister of Mauritius, expressed gratitude for India's invitation to participate in the G20 proceedings and saw it as proof of the "special relationship" between the two countries.

Alan Ganoo, the foreign minister of Mauritius, expressed gratitude for India's invitation to participate in the G20 proceedings and saw it as proof of the "special relationship" between the two countries. He said that it was a unique opportunity for Mauritius to make its voice heard as a small island developing state and to raise issues related to economic development, climate change, and global threats. Speaking to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, Mauritius' foreign minister said, "Be the presidency of the G20, the chairmanship of the G20 and be it in terms of leadership of the countries of the South, I think India is due to the respect that it commands and the unanimity that it attracts." Ganoo also expressed concern about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on Mauritius, including rising costs of imports and adverse effects on the cost of living, despite the subsidies offered by the Mauritian government. He hoped that India's leadership would help resolve the conflict, which was dominating discussions at the G20 Foreign Ministers and Finance Ministers meeting. While there was no unanimity on the issue, Ganoo hoped that India's "good offices" would help find a diplomatic way to resolve the conflict. Here is the complete interview: WION: With me is the foreign minister of Mauritius, a country with which India has a strong relationship. So welcome to WION, my first question to you is, how do you see the relationship between the two countries between India and Mauritius? Alan Ganoo: I must tell you that the historic ties that bind us are based on bonds of friendship and mutual respect. We have in fact, a privileged relationship with India, brotherly ties and this is manifested at different levels. For example, we are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations with India. India has been supporting us since our independence and even before an India has been present in terms of help and support on different levels, education, capacity building, climate change, housing, just name it recently the flagship project of the light rail has been a project which has been so popular that it has transformed in fact the urban areas of Mauritius and has been a catalyst for growth and economic development. This is why Mauritius is so grateful to India to the Republic of India and also to Prime Minister Modi who has definitely accelerated the pace of support and help to our country. WION: India is the chair of the G20 and has invited your country to participate in the group's proceedings. How do you see yourself being invited to the G20 proceedings? Alan Ganoo: This is another proof; this is another testimony of the special relationship that exists between our two countries. On this score so we are very grateful to the Indian Prime Minister for having made this gesture to us by inviting us, a small island developing state to the table. So it has been a unique opportunity for us to be here. That's why as foreign minister, representing Mauritius, participated in the works of the deliberations. I intervened twice, in fact, and it was an opportunity for us to make the voice of a small island developing state and for us to flag the different issues with regard to develop economic development, climate change, the threats that the country, all the countries of the world have to face today. And I must tell you, that it was a very successful G 20 meeting, and we are happy that we have been invited to this meeting. WION: When it comes to India being the voice of the Global South, what can you say? India hosted the voice of the global South summit in the month of January. So what's your view about India taking that mantle of leadership? Alan Ganoo: Be the Presidency of the G20, the chairmanship of the G20 and be it in terms of leadership of the countries of the South, I think India is due to the respect that it commands and the unanimity that it attracts, I think it has been very positive. It's a good thing that India is taking over the leadership and with regard to the G20, I must tell you that it is an organization which usually works on the basis of consensus. But now with India as the Chair, I think the G20 will be strengthened because it will mean more consensus and more unanimity. I think the G20 countries will continue to see the issue that unites them, in spite of the issues that divide them, of course, there is division and there will be division. What is more important is the issues on which the G20 countries agree, which will enable them to forge ahead. WION: So Russia Ukraine conflict, how has it impacted your country, we saw the shadow of the conflict at the G20 Foreign Ministers and the finance ministers meet as well. Alan Ganoo: It is inevitable that most countries of the world, not to say all countries of the world have been impacted by this conflict in Europe and a small country like Mauritius has not been spared. As you know we are a small island in the Indian Ocean. We are far from Europe, from Asia. And with the rising cost of freight, with the soaring prices of petroleum products. We import 75% of our food requirements and inevitably, this has had a very adverse effect on the cost of living in Mauritius. In spite of the fact that I must tell you that our prime minister, under his leadership, a lot of subsidies have been offered to basic commodities, on cooking gas subsidy and transport, because we have a very strong welfare state. You know, education is free in Mauritius, health services are free, and transport is free for students and old age people. All Mauritians are eligible for an old age pension at the age of 60. But in spite of that, because of all the adverse impact on the war of the country, and also, we were going through a paucity of in a recovery era, as you know, how are we going out of the post-COVID pandemic that we suffered the full blast of the war in Europe. So in spite of all the subsidies given to the population, we must recognize that the cost of living has gone up to the detriment of the population. So, unfortunately, the war is still on. And what we wish is that the different leaders concerned, go back to the table, and we find a diplomatic way to resolve that conflict. WION: And how do you see India's role when it comes to resolving the conflict at the foreign ministers meeting that issue was dominating, so much over that there was a divide, but the Indian Prime Minister has several times said that this is not an era of war. Alan Ganoo: I think there couldn't have been a more appropriate time for India to take over the leadership of the G20. Because inspired by the Gandhian philosophy, I think India commands much respect from the developing countries of the south and even vis-a-vis the Western bloc. So, India, in fact, the ideal Chair of the G20 and as you know, Mr Blinken was here, Foreign Minister of Russia was here. Unfortunately, there couldn't be any unanimity or consensus. On this question of the conflict in Ukraine. As you know, the references to the war in the document, of course, there was no agreement. Save for this issue there was an agreement on all the other issues for example, on climate change, and development cooperation, cyber criminality and food security, energy security, G20 agreed on all the documents on all these issues, but unfortunately, I don't think anybody expected an agreement, a unanimity on the issue with regard to the conflict in Ukraine. But let us hope, as I just told you, that with the help of India, with the good offices of India, we will see the light in the future with regard to that conflict, because there is an urgency. The world is being impacted by this conflict. The poor countries will become poorer if this war continues, as you know, millions and millions of people in Africa will go back to poverty. There is a threat of famine in poor countries, so we are living in difficult times and the wish of everybody is that India uses all the diplomacy that it can muster in order to help to find a peaceful solution to this country. WION: So my last question is on the Chagos islands issue, what's your view? How do you see India's role when it comes to this issue, which is very close to your government and your people's heart? Alan Ganoo: Yeah, of course, we have to be grateful to India for having supported us all throughout this issue. And we are grateful to other countries in the world. The majority of countries in the world voted for us. In the resolution before the United Nations as you know it was a massive victory for Mauritius. The United Nations General Assembly and also the case before the International Court of Justice, the ruling also were in our favour. Now the time is for us to recuperate the islands from the British administration. Here again, it is only diplomacy that can work. As you know negotiations are taking place between the two parties. Now, the UK government has agreed to start negotiations and let us hope we will have a successful conclusion. And on that score also, we are relying on friendly countries to help us to retrieve our four islands because the ICJ has clearly decreed that Mauritius has sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. Now it's a question of Mauritius recuperating the part of its territory which was separated which was excised from the Mauritius territory, some 50 years ago. WION: So on a very lighter note, Holi is coming, it connects the 2 countries. So what's the plan like, Holi Hai.. Alan Ganoo: You know, all Hindu festivals are celebrated in Mauritius, the Diwali, Holi and also religious festivals like Mahashivratri, Durga Puja and just name it. Mauritius is a multi-ethnic country also. We live in peace in harmony, and the other festivals of the other communities are also celebrated sometimes on a national level. And it's a public holiday, for example, for Christmas or Easter. We are a shining example of national unity in spite of the fact that we are a diverse population in fact, Unity in Diversity is our motto. On Holi festival, everywhere in Mauritius, you will see the different colours and people will enjoy and will celebrate it, as they usually do. Probably during the COVID years, it was not the same. But now that the covid is behind us, all the festivals are being celebrated in a very dignified and very flamboyant manner. And for example, MahaShivratri, which was celebrated a few weeks ago. People will go to the sacred lake, Ganga Talao. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Mauritian Foreign Minister Alan Ganoo praises India's leadership at G20, highlights impact of Ukraine conflict

Latvia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr. Gunda Reire, has emphasized the gravity of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, calling it an "existential threat." In an interview with our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, she stated that her country is committed to supporting Ukraine in this conflict as long as it takes. Dr. Reire also commented on the growing ties between India and Latvia.

Latvia's Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Gunda Reire Speaks to WION on Russia Ukraine conflict

Ramin Toloui, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the US&nbsp;Department of State has praised the Indian presidency of the G20 for setting an "ambitious agenda" and reaching a consensus on critical challenges in health security and food security, among other areas at the G20 Foreign ministers meet. However, he expressed regret over China and Russia's refusal to join the G20 consensus.

Speaking to WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, he said, "it was really regrettable that China and Russia did not join the G20 consensus on two paragraphs that all G20 members had embraced only three months ago in the Bali leader's declaration of the G20. And those two paragraphs were condemning the impact that the war in Ukraine was having on the global economy on global food security on energy security". Despite this divide, Toloui emphasised the importance of finding ways to work together to address pressing global issues, including those affecting emerging markets and developing countries. He also spoke on the Sri Lanka Economic Crisis, and Quad among other issues.

WION: We are coming fresh out of the G20 foreign ministers' meet. How do you make of the Indian Presidency, the key focus areas and how do the Americans plan to strengthen that? 
Ramin Toloui: The Indian presidency of the G20 has really gotten off to an excellent start. There was the finance ministers and central bank governors meeting several days ago and this was the ministerial for the foreign ministers.&nbsp;The Indian presidency set out a very ambitious agenda for our foreign ministers meeting and in fact set us the goal of producing a summary and outcomes document for the foreign ministers for the first time. And through our discussions this week, we're able to reach an agreement among the entire group of G20 on issues to address very important challenges in health security, food security and other critical challenges facing the global economy.

WION: While Chair and outcome statements have been issued, there was an absence of the joint statement.&nbsp;Do you see the absence of a joint statement as something&nbsp;worrisome because of the ongoing conflict that is dominating? Is this why we saw this divide between the 18 and the rest two, i.e.,&nbsp;Russia and China? 
Ramin Toloui: Well, we thought it was really regrettable that China and Russia did not join the G20 consensus on two paragraphs that all the other members had embraced only three months ago in the Bali leader's declaration of the G20. And those two paragraphs were condemning the impact that the war in Ukraine was having on the global economy global food security on energy security, and it called for actions to uphold the system of international law, including the principles of the UN Charter, principles of humanitarian law, including protecting civilians and critical infrastructure. And we really regret that China and Russia were unwilling to join the rest of the G20 in upholding these principles and recognising the negative impact that the war on Ukraine was having on the global economy.

Just a week ago, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution with 141 votes that called for an end to this war on the principles and bases of the UN Charter and condemned the attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. And so we're sorry to say that Russia and China are not part of this very strong global consensus on the negative impacts of the war. That being said, I commend the Indian presidency in formulating a consensus among the entire 20 on an important agenda for the rest of the world, which is addressing issues of public health, food and energy security, effective cooperation against narcotics trafficking, and so it's important that the G20 continue to find areas to cooperate that are important to the welfare of the population of the world.

 
WION: Do you see the&nbsp;Russia and Ukraine conflict, dominating or paralysing the working of the G20 grouping? Is this affecting the voice of the global south,&nbsp;causing it to not being&nbsp;heard&nbsp;in the grouping because of this divide within the grouping? 
Ramin Toloui: Well, I think that countries in the emerging markets and developing world have made clear that it's essential that we come together to address these problems that I've just enumerated, whether it's food and energy, security, the impacts of climate change, addressing humanitarian relief, in particular, in disaster areas, these problems are not going away. And in fact, many of these problems have gotten worse because of Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

So I think that it's important that we continue to find ways to work in the G20, to address these collectively. And again, I commend the Indian presidency for keeping the focus on moving forward on these areas so that we can come together. Ambassador Abhay Thakur at the Ministry of External Affairs very ably led the preparations for this meeting and helped bring the&nbsp;G20 consensus on addressing these important issues. And our partners in the emerging markets and the developing countries want that, they expect, they legitimately expect that and we need to continue to come together to address these important problems.

WION: We're meeting at a time when the court foreign ministers had their first meeting&nbsp;in Delhi, where do you see the future of this grouping amid a very&nbsp;aggressive China? 
Ramin Toloui: Well, the statement, I should say, the chairs summary and the outcomes document really pointed the way ahead on some areas where we need to continue to build on the G20 consensus this year. And so, I think that we're going to continue to work toward the leaders' meeting in September to further elaborate our cooperation in the areas I've described.

Let me give one example that's very important to the United States and it's becoming increasingly important around the world, which is the increasing cooperation on counter-narcotics. Right now, the United States is experiencing very significant problems with synthetic drugs like fentanyl. Drug overdoses have become the largest killer of Americans between the ages of 19 and 49. What we're seeing around the world is that the United States unfortunately is at the front end of a wave of challenges with synthetic drugs, whether its Ketamine in East Asia, Captagon in the Middle East, or Methamphetamine, the names are different, but the scourge is a challenge that all that we think the global community is increasingly facing. In this Foreign Ministers' meet this issue was put on the agenda of the G20 for the first time and we look forward to carrying that work on the under the Indian presidency.

 
WION: While foreign ministers met at the G20, the QUAD foreign ministers also converged. Where do you see the future of quad going forward to? 
Ramin Toloui: &nbsp;The quad is very important because it shows how a subset of democracies in the world can also make progress on important issues. The QUAD has been a very important form of collaboration in addressing COVID-19, addressing climate change, and humanitarian,&nbsp;disaster relief.

During the meeting that happened earlier today,&nbsp;there was a session&nbsp;on the Raisina dialogue among the four foreign ministers demonstrating that the quad also is a very effective forum for deepening the cooperation in these areas.

WION: India has a close relationship with Russia. How do you see this relationship going forward in terms of global geopolitics and will there be any sanctions ever on New Delhi given that it has a strong defence relationship with Russia or because it imports energy from Russia? 
Ramin Toloui:&nbsp; Prime Minister Modi has said today's era is not an era of war and Foreign Minister Dr Jaishankar has talked about India, serving as a bridge and trying to use its influence with Russia to end this conflict. We strongly support both of these sentiments because Russia's aggression on Ukraine has been&nbsp;a tragedy for the people of Ukraine.&nbsp;Because of this deliberate war on civilians, and the war crimes that Russia has committed inside Ukraine, it has been a tragedy for people all around the world.

People thousands of miles away are suffering increased food insecurity, and energy insecurity because of this war, and so it's important for all countries in the global system to use their influence, to try to bring an end to this war to alleviate not only the suffering in the war zone but the suffering of people around the world which is the result of Russia's aggression.

WION:&nbsp;On the sanctions aspect; if New Delhi gets S400 from Russia several batches of which&nbsp;have already arrived. Will there be sanctions on India? 
Ramin Toloui: &nbsp;While I don't want to talk about any specific sanctions of any kind, I can say that one of the topics of discussion you mentioned was India's relationship with Russia, one of the topics of discussion when Secretary Blinken met with Minister Jaishankar was increasing the technological and defence cooperation between the United States and India.

 
WION: &nbsp;On the technological cooperation we saw the meeting happening on critical technologies&nbsp;can you elaborate on that? Are we looking at some kind of major outcomes or deals perhaps in terms of that sector? 
Ramin Toloui: &nbsp;Well, I don't want to comment on specifics. I would&nbsp;just say that's a very important area of work. It is&nbsp;ongoing work and we're continuing to deepen our cooperation in this area.

WION: &nbsp;India has been talking about how it is the voice of the global south. How do you see these comments? 
Ramin Toloui: Well, I think that India's G20 presidency really offers an excellent opportunity to bring together the global community around these common challenges. And I think that the experiences that we've had with the first couple of major meetings under India's G 20 presidency, the finance ministers and central bank governors several days ago, the foreign ministers meeting just shows the potential under the Indian presidency to really deliver concrete results and deepen cooperation in a variety of areas that are really important to people around the world.

 
WION: Debt crisis is something that has been the key focus area as we saw at the finance ministers' meeting. What's your view on the ongoing global debt crisis? And, of course, specifically, if you talk about the Indian subcontinent, there are countries like Sri Lanka that have been majorly impacted and how much would you say that China is responsible for that? 
Ramin Toloui: Well, this issue of debt is incredibly important right now. There were already vulnerabilities preceding it, but the COVID pandemic has made all of these debt challenges much, much worse. It's very important that the creditor countries cooperate effectively in order to alleviate these debt problems and find solutions and ways forward.

You asked about Sri Lanka in particular, India has shown real leadership in&nbsp;offering assurances or what is called financing assurances that will be necessary in order for Sri Lankan to launch its IMF program.&nbsp;The Paris Club of which the United States is a part has also offered those financing assurances that are basically a way of saying that we are pledging that we're going to provide debt relief that will help get Sri Lanka on a sustainable course. Unfortunately, China hasn't provided those assurances yet, and we very much hope that they will because China is a major creditor of Sri Lanka, and it's very important that all major creditors come together to help the nation and other countries that are suffering from debt distress to find a way out and&nbsp;stabilise the economic situation and lay the groundwork for again a return to rising living standards in these countries.

WION: &nbsp;Plans for countries taking haircut when it comes to G20, what is your view? 
Ramin Toloui: Well, different countries are going to require different things. One commitment that countries that offer these financial assurances make is that they will provide debt relief in line with the calculations of the IMF. So the IMF does something prepares something called a debt sustainability analysis, which examines the future expected repayments on debt relative to the country's capacity to repay and when a country like India or the Paris Club offers financing assurances, it's a commitment to provide debt relief, such that that trajectory of repayments will be sustainable with the country's capacity over time.

So, it's very important that when a country is willing to undertake difficult economic reforms and do its part to put its economy back on the right track, the creditor of countries also be willing to provide the debt relief that's compatible with making those economic plans successful and India has done this in the case of Sri Lanka, the Paris Club has and we look forward to China also joining in on that

 
WION: What has been the US doing when it comes to supporting Sri Lanka amid the&nbsp;economic crisis it is going through? 
Ramin Toloui: Well, the key most important at the beginning is to make sure that the humanitarian needs are met when this crisis really intensified last year and now, we've been very supportive&nbsp;of Sri Lanka trying to get an IMF program launched. The enabling condition for that program to be launched is really the agreement among all the creditors to provide Sri Lanka with unnecessary debt relief. And so, we hope that we're close to this time when China would join India and the Paris Club in offering these assurances so that we can launch an IMF program to help Sri Lanka.

 
WION:&nbsp;We have seen Pakistan going through a terrible economic crisis. What's your view on that? How Americans can support it? And how much do you blame China for that? 
Ramin Toloui: &nbsp;Well, there are many challenges right now in Pakistan. And again, humanitarian challenges have been very significant. And so, the United States has played a major role in trying to provide humanitarian assistance related to the floods and other displacements that have affected Pakistan.

There is also going to be the need to try to provide economic support, including international economics, and&nbsp;support to stabilise that situation. We're very engaged in those discussions. And we hope to play a supporting role again, as is the case when countries are going through these kinds of crises, to get the economic policies in the country in the right place, supported appropriately by financial assistance from the outside. And so, we look forward to joining with other countries, the institutions like the IMF, to provide that support. 
&nbsp;

Ramin Toloui, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the US Department of State has praised the Indian presidency of the G20 for setting an "ambitious agenda" and reaching a consensus on critical challenges in health security and food security, among other areas at the G20 Foreign ministers meet.

Ramin Toloui, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs at the US Department of State has praised the Indian presidency of the G20 for setting an "ambitious agenda" and reaching a consensus on critical challenges in health security and food security, among other areas at the G20 Foreign ministers meet. However, he expressed regret over China and Russia's refusal to join the G20 consensus. Speaking to WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, he said, "it was really regrettable that China and Russia did not join the G20 consensus on two paragraphs that all G20 members had embraced only three months ago in the Bali leader's declaration of the G20. And those two paragraphs were condemning the impact that the war in Ukraine was having on the global economy on global food security on energy security". Despite this divide, Toloui emphasised the importance of finding ways to work together to address pressing global issues, including those affecting emerging markets and developing countries. He also spoke on the Sri Lanka Economic Crisis, and Quad among other issues. WION: We are coming fresh out of the G20 foreign ministers' meet. How do you make of the Indian Presidency, the key focus areas and how do the Americans plan to strengthen that? Ramin Toloui: The Indian presidency of the G20 has really gotten off to an excellent start. There was the finance ministers and central bank governors meeting several days ago and this was the ministerial for the foreign ministers. The Indian presidency set out a very ambitious agenda for our foreign ministers meeting and in fact set us the goal of producing a summary and outcomes document for the foreign ministers for the first time. And through our discussions this week, we're able to reach an agreement among the entire group of G20 on issues to address very important challenges in health security, food security and other critical challenges facing the global economy. WION: While Chair and outcome statements have been issued, there was an absence of the joint statement. Do you see the absence of a joint statement as something worrisome because of the ongoing conflict that is dominating? Is this why we saw this divide between the 18 and the rest two, i.e., Russia and China? Ramin Toloui: Well, we thought it was really regrettable that China and Russia did not join the G20 consensus on two paragraphs that all the other members had embraced only three months ago in the Bali leader's declaration of the G20. And those two paragraphs were condemning the impact that the war in Ukraine was having on the global economy global food security on energy security, and it called for actions to uphold the system of international law, including the principles of the UN Charter, principles of humanitarian law, including protecting civilians and critical infrastructure. And we really regret that China and Russia were unwilling to join the rest of the G20 in upholding these principles and recognising the negative impact that the war on Ukraine was having on the global economy. Just a week ago, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution with 141 votes that called for an end to this war on the principles and bases of the UN Charter and condemned the attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. And so we're sorry to say that Russia and China are not part of this very strong global consensus on the negative impacts of the war. That being said, I commend the Indian presidency in formulating a consensus among the entire 20 on an important agenda for the rest of the world, which is addressing issues of public health, food and energy security, effective cooperation against narcotics trafficking, and so it's important that the G20 continue to find areas to cooperate that are important to the welfare of the population of the world. WION: Do you see the Russia and Ukraine conflict, dominating or paralysing the working of the G20 grouping? Is this affecting the voice of the global south, causing it to not being heard in the grouping because of this divide within the grouping? Ramin Toloui: Well, I think that countries in the emerging markets and developing world have made clear that it's essential that we come together to address these problems that I've just enumerated, whether it's food and energy, security, the impacts of climate change, addressing humanitarian relief, in particular, in disaster areas, these problems are not going away. And in fact, many of these problems have gotten worse because of Russia's aggression against Ukraine. So I think that it's important that we continue to find ways to work in the G20, to address these collectively. And again, I commend the Indian presidency for keeping the focus on moving forward on these areas so that we can come together. Ambassador Abhay Thakur at the Ministry of External Affairs very ably led the preparations for this meeting and helped bring the G20 consensus on addressing these important issues. And our partners in the emerging markets and the developing countries want that, they expect, they legitimately expect that and we need to continue to come together to address these important problems. WION: We're meeting at a time when the court foreign ministers had their first meeting in Delhi, where do you see the future of this grouping amid a very aggressive China? Ramin Toloui: Well, the statement, I should say, the chairs summary and the outcomes document really pointed the way ahead on some areas where we need to continue to build on the G20 consensus this year. And so, I think that we're going to continue to work toward the leaders' meeting in September to further elaborate our cooperation in the areas I've described. Let me give one example that's very important to the United States and it's becoming increasingly important around the world, which is the increasing cooperation on counter-narcotics. Right now, the United States is experiencing very significant problems with synthetic drugs like fentanyl. Drug overdoses have become the largest killer of Americans between the ages of 19 and 49. What we're seeing around the world is that the United States unfortunately is at the front end of a wave of challenges with synthetic drugs, whether its Ketamine in East Asia, Captagon in the Middle East, or Methamphetamine, the names are different, but the scourge is a challenge that all that we think the global community is increasingly facing. In this Foreign Ministers' meet this issue was put on the agenda of the G20 for the first time and we look forward to carrying that work on the under the Indian presidency. WION: While foreign ministers met at the G20, the QUAD foreign ministers also converged. Where do you see the future of quad going forward to? Ramin Toloui: The quad is very important because it shows how a subset of democracies in the world can also make progress on important issues. The QUAD has been a very important form of collaboration in addressing COVID-19, addressing climate change, and humanitarian, disaster relief. During the meeting that happened earlier today, there was a session on the Raisina dialogue among the four foreign ministers demonstrating that the quad also is a very effective forum for deepening the cooperation in these areas. WION: India has a close relationship with Russia. How do you see this relationship going forward in terms of global geopolitics and will there be any sanctions ever on New Delhi given that it has a strong defence relationship with Russia or because it imports energy from Russia? Ramin Toloui: Prime Minister Modi has said today's era is not an era of war and Foreign Minister Dr Jaishankar has talked about India, serving as a bridge and trying to use its influence with Russia to end this conflict. We strongly support both of these sentiments because Russia's aggression on Ukraine has been a tragedy for the people of Ukraine. Because of this deliberate war on civilians, and the war crimes that Russia has committed inside Ukraine, it has been a tragedy for people all around the world. People thousands of miles away are suffering increased food insecurity, and energy insecurity because of this war, and so it's important for all countries in the global system to use their influence, to try to bring an end to this war to alleviate not only the suffering in the war zone but the suffering of people around the world which is the result of Russia's aggression. WION: On the sanctions aspect; if New Delhi gets S400 from Russia several batches of which have already arrived. Will there be sanctions on India? Ramin Toloui: While I don't want to talk about any specific sanctions of any kind, I can say that one of the topics of discussion you mentioned was India's relationship with Russia, one of the topics of discussion when Secretary Blinken met with Minister Jaishankar was increasing the technological and defence cooperation between the United States and India. WION: On the technological cooperation we saw the meeting happening on critical technologies can you elaborate on that? Are we looking at some kind of major outcomes or deals perhaps in terms of that sector? Ramin Toloui: Well, I don't want to comment on specifics. I would just say that's a very important area of work. It is ongoing work and we're continuing to deepen our cooperation in this area. WION: India has been talking about how it is the voice of the global south. How do you see these comments? Ramin Toloui: Well, I think that India's G20 presidency really offers an excellent opportunity to bring together the global community around these common challenges. And I think that the experiences that we've had with the first couple of major meetings under India's G 20 presidency, the finance ministers and central bank governors several days ago, the foreign ministers meeting just shows the potential under the Indian presidency to really deliver concrete results and deepen cooperation in a variety of areas that are really important to people around the world. WION: Debt crisis is something that has been the key focus area as we saw at the finance ministers' meeting. What's your view on the ongoing global debt crisis? And, of course, specifically, if you talk about the Indian subcontinent, there are countries like Sri Lanka that have been majorly impacted and how much would you say that China is responsible for that? Ramin Toloui: Well, this issue of debt is incredibly important right now. There were already vulnerabilities preceding it, but the COVID pandemic has made all of these debt challenges much, much worse. It's very important that the creditor countries cooperate effectively in order to alleviate these debt problems and find solutions and ways forward. You asked about Sri Lanka in particular, India has shown real leadership in offering assurances or what is called financing assurances that will be necessary in order for Sri Lankan to launch its IMF program. The Paris Club of which the United States is a part has also offered those financing assurances that are basically a way of saying that we are pledging that we're going to provide debt relief that will help get Sri Lanka on a sustainable course. Unfortunately, China hasn't provided those assurances yet, and we very much hope that they will because China is a major creditor of Sri Lanka, and it's very important that all major creditors come together to help the nation and other countries that are suffering from debt distress to find a way out and stabilise the economic situation and lay the groundwork for again a return to rising living standards in these countries. WION: Plans for countries taking haircut when it comes to G20, what is your view? Ramin Toloui: Well, different countries are going to require different things. One commitment that countries that offer these financial assurances make is that they will provide debt relief in line with the calculations of the IMF. So the IMF does something prepares something called a debt sustainability analysis, which examines the future expected repayments on debt relative to the country's capacity to repay and when a country like India or the Paris Club offers financing assurances, it's a commitment to provide debt relief, such that that trajectory of repayments will be sustainable with the country's capacity over time. So, it's very important that when a country is willing to undertake difficult economic reforms and do its part to put its economy back on the right track, the creditor of countries also be willing to provide the debt relief that's compatible with making those economic plans successful and India has done this in the case of Sri Lanka, the Paris Club has and we look forward to China also joining in on that WION: What has been the US doing when it comes to supporting Sri Lanka amid the economic crisis it is going through? Ramin Toloui: Well, the key most important at the beginning is to make sure that the humanitarian needs are met when this crisis really intensified last year and now, we've been very supportive of Sri Lanka trying to get an IMF program launched. The enabling condition for that program to be launched is really the agreement among all the creditors to provide Sri Lanka with unnecessary debt relief. And so, we hope that we're close to this time when China would join India and the Paris Club in offering these assurances so that we can launch an IMF program to help Sri Lanka. WION: We have seen Pakistan going through a terrible economic crisis. What's your view on that? How Americans can support it? And how much do you blame China for that? Ramin Toloui: Well, there are many challenges right now in Pakistan. And again, humanitarian challenges have been very significant. And so, the United States has played a major role in trying to provide humanitarian assistance related to the floods and other displacements that have affected Pakistan. There is also going to be the need to try to provide economic support, including international economics, and support to stabilise that situation. We're very engaged in those discussions. And we hope to play a supporting role again, as is the case when countries are going through these kinds of crises, to get the economic policies in the country in the right place, supported appropriately by financial assistance from the outside. And so, we look forward to joining with other countries, the institutions like the IMF, to provide that support.

Exclusive | US Diplomat Toloui praises Indian G20 presidency, regrets China-Russia stance

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Inside South Asia: Pakistan economy on brink; G20 Foreign Ministers meet in New Delhi

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov described Russia's relationship with India as a privileged strategic partnership and lauded the latter’s responsible stand on key global agendas. Lavrov accused the West of trying to divide geopolitical picture. His remarks came in the backdrop of the West increasing sanctions against Russia as the war in Ukraine entered its second year in February.

West not dropping neo- colonial habits : Sergei Lavrov

Russia and the United States' top diplomats spoke to each other face-to-face on Thursday for the first time since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine on the sidelines of a G20 meeting where ministers traded blame over the conflict.

Antony Blinken: Have told Russia's Lavrov to 'end this war'

At the opening segment of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday (March 2) in New Delhi, India highlighted the agenda of discussion, including global challenges related to conflicts, the Covid pandemic, food, fuel and fertiliser security. Amid current geopolitical tensions, India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar underlined that the G20 grouping "bears an exceptional responsibility". "We first came together amid a global crisis; and now today, actually, we are confronting multiple ones. These include the impact of the Covid pandemic, concerns over fragile supply chains, the knock-on effects of ongoing conflicts, the anxiety of debt crisis and disruption over climate events." His comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed foreign ministers who have gathered from various parts of the world and stressed that "multilateralism is in crisis today".&nbsp;

Here are five major pitches raised at the opening session by India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar:&nbsp;

1) On multiple challenges and global issues, Jaishankar said, nations "may not always be in one mind". "There are some matters of sharp differences of opinion. We must find common directions because that is what the world expects of us. As we look ahead, there are both pressing and systematic challenges that we all confront," he urged. His comments come at a time when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in Delhi amid differences with the United States over the Ukraine war.&nbsp;

2) The future of multilateralism, Jaishankar said, "depends very much on our ability in a changing world". "Food and energy securities are immediate anxieties magnified by recent events. Now, they do have long-term solutions and repercussions and development cooperation is part of a larger solution that we are deliberating on today," he emphasised.&nbsp;

3) With the current global architecture in its eighth decade, the number of members of the United Nations has quadrupled in this period, the Indian foreign minister said. &nbsp;"It neither reflects today's politics, economics, demographics or aspirations. Since 2005, we have heard sentiments for reforms being expressed at the highest level. But as we all know, these have not materialised. The reasons are no secret. The longer we put it off, the more the credibility of multilateralism stands eroded. Global decision-making has to be democratised if it has to have a future," he insisted.&nbsp;

Watch| G20 Meet: ‘This grouping bears exceptional responsibility,’ says EAM Jaishankar

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4) Issues related to food, fuel and fertiliser security are "truly make-or-break issues for developing countries", Jaishankar said at the session. "Such issues should not be relegated to the periphery of the international discourse. They are, in fact, crucial to the global economy and must be treated like that. All of us have an obligation to contribute to international growth and prosperity. India has undertaken development projects in 78 countries and has actively encouraged capability building," he said. The G20 must be sensitive to needs of all our partners, especially those more vulnerable, Jaishankar further highlighted, adding that "we must ensure demand-driven and sustainable cooperation based on ownership and transparency".&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
5) In a tacit reference to the Ukraine conflict, he also said that the world must strive for more reliable and resilient supply chains.&nbsp; 
"Recent experiences have underlined the risks of depending on limited geographies," he stressed. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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At the opening segment of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday (March 2) in New Delhi, India highlighted the agenda of discussion, including global challenges related to conflicts, the Covid pandemic, food, fuel and fertiliser security.

At the opening segment of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting on Thursday (March 2) in New Delhi, India highlighted the agenda of discussion, including global challenges related to conflicts, the Covid pandemic, food, fuel and fertiliser security. Amid current geopolitical tensions, India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar underlined that the G20 grouping "bears an exceptional responsibility". "We first came together amid a global crisis; and now today, actually, we are confronting multiple ones. These include the impact of the Covid pandemic, concerns over fragile supply chains, the knock-on effects of ongoing conflicts, the anxiety of debt crisis and disruption over climate events." His comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed foreign ministers who have gathered from various parts of the world and stressed that "multilateralism is in crisis today". Here are five major pitches raised at the opening session by India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar: 1) On multiple challenges and global issues, Jaishankar said, nations "may not always be in one mind". "There are some matters of sharp differences of opinion. We must find common directions because that is what the world expects of us. As we look ahead, there are both pressing and systematic challenges that we all confront," he urged. His comments come at a time when Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is in Delhi amid differences with the United States over the Ukraine war. 2) The future of multilateralism, Jaishankar said, "depends very much on our ability in a changing world". "Food and energy securities are immediate anxieties magnified by recent events. Now, they do have long-term solutions and repercussions and development cooperation is part of a larger solution that we are deliberating on today," he emphasised. 3) With the current global architecture in its eighth decade, the number of members of the United Nations has quadrupled in this period, the Indian foreign minister said. "It neither reflects today's politics, economics, demographics or aspirations. Since 2005, we have heard sentiments for reforms being expressed at the highest level. But as we all know, these have not materialised. The reasons are no secret. The longer we put it off, the more the credibility of multilateralism stands eroded. Global decision-making has to be democratised if it has to have a future," he insisted. Watch| G20 Meet: ‘This grouping bears exceptional responsibility,’ says EAM Jaishankar × 4) Issues related to food, fuel and fertiliser security are "truly make-or-break issues for developing countries", Jaishankar said at the session. "Such issues should not be relegated to the periphery of the international discourse. They are, in fact, crucial to the global economy and must be treated like that. All of us have an obligation to contribute to international growth and prosperity. India has undertaken development projects in 78 countries and has actively encouraged capability building," he said. The G20 must be sensitive to needs of all our partners, especially those more vulnerable, Jaishankar further highlighted, adding that "we must ensure demand-driven and sustainable cooperation based on ownership and transparency". 5) In a tacit reference to the Ukraine conflict, he also said that the world must strive for more reliable and resilient supply chains. "Recent experiences have underlined the risks of depending on limited geographies," he stressed. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India's five big pitches at opening segment of key G20 foreign ministers' meet

India is hosting the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting. Fractured east-west relations over the conflict in Ukraine and increasing concerns about China's global aspirations are set to dominate the meeting. The meeting is particularly crucial for India's hopes to use its chairmanship of the group to leverage its position on the global stage and adopt a neutral stance on Ukraine. After a welcome dinner yesterday, the main meetings are being held today.

G20 meet: Russia, China criticise West for Blackmail and Threats'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is in India to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting, hit out at Western countries on Thursday (March 2) by saying that the West is isolating itself now.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is in India to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting, hit out at Western countries on Thursday (March 2) by saying that the West is isolating itself now. Addressing a press conference, Lavrov said the West represents itself as the beacon of democracy but keeps on bullying others. "....We do not feel isolated. The West is isolating itself now. If the West is so democratic then why can't they apply democratic principles internationally?" Lavrov said. The Russian foreign minister's remark came after Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia for its offensive in Ukraine, which recently marked one year. ALSO READ | PM Modi urges G20 nations to find common ground on divisive issues Sergey Lavrov told reporters, "...This invasion (of Ukraine as per the West) reflects the reaction to the war the West was preparing for many years and that is why it was arming the Ukrainian regime..." If we see these countries (from west) they were conquering land & exploiting the people. Unfortunately, west did not drop its neocolonial habits...west is still promoting their interstes without considering interests of global community : Russian FM Lavrov in Delhi pic.twitter.com/gQ5vor1wmS — ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2023 × Lavrov said that Western countries were conquering land and exploiting people, and unfortunately, the West did not drop its neocolonial habits. "The West is still promoting their interests without considering the interests of the global community," he added. ALSO READ | As divide over Ukraine persists, no joint statement for G20 foreign ministers' meet : Jaishankar Slamming the United States, Lavrov said that some countries under pressure said certain things or voted in a certain manner to relieve themselves from American pressure. But he pointed out that no developing country joined sanctions because they are aware of what kind of game the West is playing. The Russian foreign minister also said that his country never stood against any state or any country developing foreign ties with any other state. Ukraine war impacting Global South: S Jaishankar Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who earlier met Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the G20 meeting, said on Thursday that the Ukraine war is impacting the Global South. "India has been saying very strongly since a year that for much of the Global South, this is a make or break issue. The costs of fuel, food & availability of fertilisers are extremely pressing issues," Jaishankar said during a press conference. #WATCH | If we had perfect meetings of minds on all issues & captured it fully, it would have been collective statement but there were issues on which there were diveregences...There were differences on Ukraine issue which we could not reconcile: EAM pic.twitter.com/bfFxG5CRaN — ANI (@ANI) March 2, 2023 × Jaishankar added the knock-on effects of the war are damaging countries already struggling with debt and impacted by the pandemic. "This matter is of deep concern that is why we have kept the focus of these meetings on the Global South & vulnerable countries," he said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

G20 meet: Russia's Lavrov denounces West's isolation pitch, says West, not Moscow, isolating itself

India is hosting the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting. Fractured east-west relations over the conflict in Ukraine and increasing concerns about China's global aspirations are set to dominate the meeting.The meeting is particularly crucial for India's hopes to use its chairmanship of the group to leverage its position on the global stage and adopt a neutral stance on Ukraine. After a welcome dinner yesterday, the main meetings are being held today.

G20 Meet : Indian PM Modi flags deep global divisions

'We are very proud of India', says Bangladesh Foreign minister. The Principal Diplomatic Correspondent of WION spoke with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Kalam Abdul Momem, who is in India for the G20 foreign ministers meet.

Bangladesh FM Momen appreciates India, says 'India is taking the leadership of South'

India is hosting the G20 foreign ministers meeting. Fractured east-west relations over the conflict in Ukraine and increasing concerns about China's global aspiration are set to dominate the meeting.

G20 Meet: 40 delegations show up for the G20 Summit

Addressing the G20 foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the grouping of the G20 foreign ministers bears an exceptional responsibility. Speaking at the much-touted G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the minister underscored that the current global architecture is in its 8th decade and the fact the members of the UN have quadrupled in this period.

EAM Jaishankar at G20 meet: India is expected to live up to their international responsibilities

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting. The prime minister’s opening statement to the visiting G20 foreign ministers moderated the expectations about the outcome of the summit, where negotiators are working hard to put together a statement with consensus.

PM Modi addresses G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting

A moments before the crucial G20 foreign ministers meet begins in New Delhi, let's just take a look at what the world expects from India. Foreign ministers from across the globe spoke to WION ahead of G20 meeting in India.

Expectations of nations from India's G20 Presidency

G20 Meet: Fractured East-West relations

Here we bring you a quick round-up of all latest news and top headlines from all across the globe.

WION Speed News: G20 Foreign Ministers meet in New Delhi

G20: India trying to reconcile differences; PM Modi flags deep global divisions

Foreign ministers of G20 countries will meet in the national capital on March 1 and 2 to deliberate on pressing global challenges amid escalating confrontation between Russia and the West over the Ukraine conflict that entered the second year this week. Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen speaks to WION more on this.

Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen speaks to WION

The G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting that concluded in Bengaluru, India on Saturday failed to issue a joint statement, and the foreign ministers of G20 will meet against this backdrop.

G20 Meet: Ukraine remains the bone of contention

India hosts one of the largest G-20 Foreign Ministers meet under its presidency in New Delhi. G20 Foreign Ministers meeting under India's G20 presidency will be held tomorrow, March 2. This will be the second ministerial meeting held under India's presidency.

India hosts G20 Foreign ministers meet in Delhi

Foreign ministers from around the world will attend the G20 Summit which is taking place in New Delhi. The two day summit is taking place in the shadow of Russia's war in Ukraine and spiraling U.S.-China tensions. In such a backdrop New Delhi hopes that issues like climate change and third world debt are not overlooked.

India hosts 2-day G20 meet in New Delhi

Foreign ministers from around the world will attend the G20 Summit which is taking place in New Delhi. The two day summit starting from today is taking place in the shadow of Russia's war in Ukraine and spiraling U.S.-Chine tensions.

India welcomes Foreign Ministers for G20 meet

Foreign ministers from around the world will attend the G20 Summit which is taking place in New Delhi. The Principal correspondent of WION Siddhant Sibbal speaks with Denmark's foreign minister on the sidelines of G20 summit.

Denmark's Foreign Minister congratulates India on G20 Presidency

The G20 foreign ministers will be meeting in New Delhi today, the meet comes against Russia's war in Ukraine and spiraling U.S.-China tensions. In such a backdrop New Delhi hopes that issues like climate change and third world debt are not overlooked.

G20 talks overshadowed by the Ukraine War

India welcomes foreign ministers, Japan likely to miss G20 meet

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