Exclusive: German ambassador says Xi's absence at G20 not a big deal, climate top priority

WION’s principal diplomatic correspondent Siddhant Sibbal sat with German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann to discuss India’s G20 presidency. The discussion revolved around India’s role in building consensus on the G20 forum, which has remained heavily divided, especially in the wake of the Ukraine crisis.

The ambassador also talked about Chinese President Xi Jinping’s notable absence from the summit, his very first since assuming power in China almost 11 years ago. Mr Ackermann told Sibbal that Xi’s absence was not a big deal at all and China still was being represented at a high level as the country’s prime minister will lead the Chinese delegation.

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He also said that climate was amongst the top priorities for his nation, and Germany will be very strongly advocating for ‘a good climate text’ in the joint communiqué.

Here are the edited excerpts from the conversation:

WION: India is hosting the G20 Summit. What are your expectations from the Indian presidency of this mega grouping?

German Ambassador- So, first of all, thanks for having me. And I would say that this summit is now the peak or the high point of a year-long presidency. The expectations of course for the summit are high clearly, you know, you have delivered so much that we are looking forward to the, to the summit and, you know, in a very, very difficult geopolitical environment, we have to call it like it is there is no, no doubt that the times are difficult. We are very confident that the Indian side will bring together the leaders of the world around one statement, one declaration. Now, I think, the big negotiations are ongoing, I mean, we have seen the negotiators sitting around the table for the last couple of days and I think we are in the midst of the discussions as it always is before the summit and we will see the outcome very soon. It is a difficult task. There is no doubt, but I trust that the Indian diplomatic skills.

WION: Are you hopeful that there will be a joint statement because they're sharp positions when it comes to G7, and Russia and China on the other side?

German Ambassador- So, I think I'm very hopeful. There is always a risk that things will not go the way the presidency wants them. But I think if a country can bring success to this, India is the country. So we have seen the Indian role last year in Bali where the declaration was a success. And I am very confident that India will play this role as a pen holder as the president this year. It's difficult because when you are president, you are supposed to be neutral. You are the one who brings everybody together. I think chances are high that things will end up in a satisfactory manner.

WION:Well, the focus is also African Union. India has proposed African Union become a permanent invitee. What is Germany's view on this proposal?

German ambassador- I can tell you that we support this proposal wholeheartedly. We feel that the African Union is a very, very valuable partner, and it should have a seat at the table. We Germans and also the European Union have always been promoting and supporting the African Union's efforts to join these multilateral forums.

WION: There's also the China challenge. The Chinese President Xi Jinping is skipping the summit here in Delhi. Do you think that is a negative signal being sent by Beijing to this summit? Given there are tensions as well.

German ambassador:So frankly, I think it is unfortunate that the Chinese president will not attend, but you should see it in a larger context. This is a G20 plus, that means, you have 19 plus other countries who will be represented at a very high level and the Chinese prime minister will come so he's also a very high-level representative of his country. So, I will say don't read too much into it. It will be a very important summit. China will make its voice heard at the table, so I would not see it as a failure or something.

WION:What does Germany bring to the table during this year's summit?

German Ambassador: So what we want is basically support the Indian presidency. The main aim is to make this presidency a success. (If you ask) What are our priorities? Climate is certainly one and that has turned out to be also difficult in the last ministerial meeting. So we will be very, very strongly advocating for a good climate text. I think that partnerships with what you call 'the global South', with partners in the southern hemisphere, is very important for us. That includes energy partnerships, natural resources partnerships, and discussing, you know, support the West can extend to these countries is very important and third, and not least, (We want to see) the problem of Ukraine tackled in the right way. We have a war of aggression that has a huge impact on the world economy, and that must be addressed in the right way.

WION:But do you think that it won't be the main focus during the summit because first, the host is neutral? There are many global south countries and essentially President Zelensky is not present as well.

German Ambassador: You cannot say that the whole G20 Summit should be rallying around this one question. I think it has been on the table for a long time when it comes to the negotiations of the statement. It's an important role. You know, I'm not a fan of those who say, let's keep politics out of the G-20 because politics and economics are interwoven. And you see with this war of aggression against Ukraine, what impact it has on many countries. But having said that, I think India has been so helpful during the valuable interaction, but I'm full of trust and confidence that India, as a president, will find a formula that will satisfy the most.

WION: How do you see the visit of the German Chancellor?

German Ambassador: We had a very successful and extremely interesting visit in February. This time, will be more in the context of the G20. But it shows very clearly that there is a shift in Germany towards India and a clear commitment towards an Indian German relationship that reflects, you know, the values we share and the potential that there is in this bilateral relationship; be that economic, be that scientific and also political.

WION: How India and Germany are working together to fight the issue of climate change.

German ambassador- We have this partnership for green sustainable development. I think India is an excellent partner. Not only that, because without India climate change is not to be tackled in a satisfactory way but also because India is full of creative ideas on how to tackle climate change. So we have not only the government, we have think tanks, academia, we have these very lively private sector that is so engaged and committed to renewable energy. So I think India is an ideal partner. Germany spends 1.3 billion euros a year together with India in developing ways and means to tackle climate change. I couldn't think of a more appropriate partner for Germany. We continue this engagement and look forward to developing ways and means to tackle this global problem with India.

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