Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: A very good afternoon to all of you. Thank you very much for joining us for this Special Media Briefing on the occasion of Honourable Prime Minister's visit to Bali, Indonesia, from tomorrow for the G20 Summit. To give us more details about this forthcoming visit, we have the privilege of having Foreign Secretary sir, Shri Vinay Kwatra, here with us. Sir, I would request you to make opening remarks and then we can take perhaps a few questions.
Shri Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Secretary: Thank you, Arindam. Good afternoon to all of you and thank you very much for coming out on Sunday for this Special Briefing on Prime Minister's upcoming visit to Bali that starts tomorrow. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be attending the 17th G20 Summit meeting being hosted in Indonesia by Indonesia on 15th-16th November in Bali. The Summit is likely to be attended as is the tradition by the leaders of G20 member countries, guest countries and international organizations. As you all know G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation, and it plays a crucial role in shaping and strengthening the global architecture and governance on all major international economic and developmental issues. The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade and about two thirds of the world's population. This G20 Summit is particularly special because as you are aware, India will hold the presidency of the G20 Summit from 1st December 2022 for a one-year period, and the presidency handover will take place during the Summit in Bali. During the Summit, Prime Minister Modi and other G20 leaders will deliberate extensively upon key issues of contemporary relevance, including the state of global economy, issues relating to energy, environment, agriculture, health and digital transformation etc. As per the current program, the Bali Summit comprises of three working sessions at the leader’s level where PM will be participating. These include the sessions on food and energy security, a session on digital transformation, and a session on health.
G20 deliberations have acquired a greater salience in the current global economic and political context. Coming on the top of the existing environmental challenges, lack of progress in the SDGs and the pandemic, the world is currently struggling with many important challenges. These includes uneven post pandemic economic recovery, debt vulnerabilities especially in the countries of the global south, ongoing conflict in Europe, and its knock on effect, such as food security challenges, energy crisis and inflation on all countries of the world. G20 leaders will discuss these challenges and underscore the importance of closer multilateral cooperation to help overcome these challenges.
As the incoming presidency, India has always actively engaged in the past and during this presidency of Indonesia also with all the G20 countries and participants throughout this year. Our position has been of steadfast and strong support to Indonesia, which as the Presidency has shown strong leadership in ensuring that the G20 platform discusses issues of substantive interest to the world. The Prime Minister as I mentioned earlier, Prime Minister would receive the G20 Presidency from His Excellency Widodo the President of Indonesia at the closing session of the Bali Summit, and as you all know, India will host the next G20 Summit in September 2023. The dates of which have already been announced. Prime Minister Modi will also utilize the opportunity of his presence at the Bali Summit to invite the G20 leaders to India's G20 Summit. The G20 Summit program also includes a leaders’ visit to what is called Bahasa Indonesia, Taman Hutan Raya, it’s a mangrove forest in Bali, on 16th of November. As you know, mangroves are an important refuge of coastal biodiversity and act as bio shields against extreme climatic events and as important carbon sinks. India's own mangrove cover is significant, with one of the highest biodiversity in the world. We also recently agreed to join the Global Mangrove Alliance, which was launched jointly by Indonesia and UAE.
On the side-lines of the Bali Summit, Prime Minister would have several bilateral interactions with the G20 leaders to brief them of course on India's evolving G20 priorities as also to review key elements of bilateral engagement with these world leaders. India's G20 Presidency hopes to provide new strength, direction and perspective to G20 discussions on diverse subjects which include green development, lifestyle for environment, digital transformation, inclusive and resilient growth, women led development and more importantly, greater voice for the global south in issues of international economic cooperation as also on the need for reformed 21st century institutions.
During our G20 Presidency India, Indonesia and Brazil would be the Troika. This would be the first time in G20 that the Troika would consist of three developing countries and emerging economies in a row. India as the next chair, would endeavour to provide greater voice to issues of interest to the global South, as I said earlier, and steer the G20 agenda in a representative and balanced manner. During his visit to Bali, Prime Minister will also address and interact with the Indian community and friends of India and Bali, at the Indian community reception on the 15th of November. Indian community and diaspora have a strong presence across Indonesia. Prime Minister will depart Bali on 16th November 2022 on the conclusion of the Bali Summit for India. I would stop here and be happy to take any questions. Thank you.
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Thank you very much sir. We'll take a few questions.
Maha Siddiqui: I’m Maha Siddiqui from NDTV. What are the bilateral that have already been decided for the Prime Minister?
Suhasini: Just adding to that specifically, is there going to be a meeting because this is one occasion where the President of China, Xi Jinping will be there. Will there be any meeting with Mr. Xi and Prime Minister Modi also given that the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman had to put off his visit at the last minute, will the Prime Minister be meeting him over there in and details you can tell us about the bilateral agendas.
Akhilesh Suman: Sir, I’m Akhilesh Suman from Sansad TV. Actually, this G20 Summit is taking place after pandemic and when economic recovery is taking place and its Russia Ukraine war. So what is the message that Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Indian side will be giving so that the world can face the challenges and resolve it.
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Sorry, could repeat the last part message to?
Akhilesh Suman: What is going to be the message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for G20 leaders to implement how world can face the challenges and resolve it.
Sudhi Ranjan: Sir, Sudhi Ranjan from Bloomberg. You talked about vulnerability of the Global South. Could you give us any more detail as to what the Prime Minister what kind of a message or what kind of response the Prime Minister would want from G20 on this particular issue.
Shri Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Secretary: Thank you. For the question and any other queries that might be there with regard to the bilateral engagements that the Prime Minister would have on the side-lines of the Bali Summit. Yes, as I said, Prime Minister will have bilateral meetings with several leaders of the G20 on the side-lines of the Bali Summit. These meetings, these bilateral engagements with the other leaders are still in the process of being scheduled. This is something which remains under evolution. And as the program unfolds, after Prime Minister Modi lands in Bali, we would keep you apprised of each and every bilateral interaction that Prime Minister has in Bali, on the side-lines. Akhilesh Ji with regard to your question, and I think in a way, one specific point of it raised by Mr. Sudhi Ranjan on the on the voice of global South, you know, the world economic challenges, which is the economic and development challenges, which is the principal focus of the G20 meetings, as you know that under this rubric, the developing countries of the world and the world at large is facing several challenges and I listed some of those key challenges in my opening remarks. These includes the continuing uncertainty and challenges relating to energy security, the whole rubric of environment and climate challenges, and how the world should come together to respond to them, forms a second key basket of issues in which there has been a strong challenge to the entire global community. The challenges relating to the food security, the pandemic has clearly showed us the problem of the global health security that all of us encounter. On the other hand, there are issues which are more along the lines of objectives, which are full of opportunities, for example, the digital space, the digital world, the delivery of governance using digital platforms, using digital instruments, which as you know is a unique and one of the very strong competencies of the Indian economic ecosystem. So, obviously, when you address these challenges, and when you respond to these opportunities, it has to be done in a manner which provides important voice to the developing world to the countries of the South. And that's what I mentioned that in addressing these challenges and in offering these opportunities, idea is that the benefit of mitigation of these challenges and harnessing of these opportunities should go in a very, very large measure to the developing South also and that I think, is the underlying intent of what I mentioned. And these challenges in these opportunities are the very was the ones in which the discussions would take place. And at this stage I can't tell you for sure what the Prime Minister's interventions would be, but I'm assuming that it would be an intersection set of many of these elements and specific subsections of these elements.
Shailesh: Sir, Shailesh from National Defence. Sir as you said that PM would be inviting G20 leaders to India, will you please confirm if decided to what would be the venue of the G20 Summit in India.
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: We have already issued a press release, I think a couple of months ago, where we said that the G20 presidency will be on the 9th and 10th of September next year in New Delhi.
Shailesh: Okay. Thank you, sir for that. And second thing yesterday Army chief said that the situation on LAC is stable and predictable. Since PM would be going to G20 Summit with Chinese President would also be there. Do we see any similar kind of enthusiasm from Chinese side in having bilateral with PM so the situation can be resolved peacefully mutually through dialogue?
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: I am hesitant to allow this question let me be very honest, simply because this assumes a meeting and then goes on to the discussions of that meeting. I let sir answer the way he wants it, but I would say that look, I think you should wait for if the bilaterals happen and if so, we will share with you at that point. I think larger issue is let's focus on the Prime Minister's visit here.
Urvashi: Hello sir I’m Urvashi. My question is this that will India raise cross border terrorism, Pakistan's cross border terrorism at G20 and second is 87% of Indonesians are Muslims. There is a Pasmanda Samaj in UP that is backing PM. So is this a kind of new trust for Muslims welfare after triple talak?
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Sorry, could you repeat the last question and I'm completely lost on that one.
Urvashi: Sir 87% of Indonesians are Muslims and in UP we see Pasmanda Samaj backing PM. Is there a new trust somewhere to see that this is for the welfare of the Muslims?
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: You mean G20 visit or in what context is the question?
Urvashi: Because PM is an Indian.
Madhurendra: Sir mein Madhurendra News Nation se, aapne abhi jikr kiya ki pradhanmantri wahan Indian diaspora ko bhi sambodhit karenge, kya format hoga basically aur darasal Indonesia mein Bharat ke kayi sanskritik presence ko hum dekhte hai, to kya sthanon ka bhi pradhanmantri visit karenge aur koi karyakram aisa hai? (Questioned in Hindi; Approximate Translation) Sir I am Madhurendra from News Nation, you just mentioned that the Prime Minister will also address the Indian diaspora there, what will be the format basically and in fact we see many cultural relationships between India and Indonesia, so will the Prime Minister visit the places and have any such program?
Meghna Dev: Sir, I’m Meghna Dev from DD News. Sir India has recently joined the mangrove Alliance for Climate at COP 27. And as you said, that PM will be visiting a mangrove forest there during his visit, anything more if you are aiming at Tech transfers or anything and bringing all the G20 countries and member countries together to increase mangrove cover or anything on that front, if you can give us more details.
Shri Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Secretary: To Shailesh’s question which Arindam has already and I have also touched upon it in the very first question that I responded to, that bilateral meetings with the other leaders in the G20 is something which remains under evolution, which remains under the part of the program finalization and as and when those meetings finalized what gets discussed in those meetings, etc. we would, of course, briefing you on them when we are in Bali, and I hope we would hope to see some of you perhaps in Bali at that time. Urvashi to you to your question, I don't really see a specific correlation to the agenda of the G20 for which the Prime Minister is going to participate and the direct connect with what you asked fairly valid points in terms of your own context. I would simply say that the Bali Summit is principally structured along three sessions. There is a session on food and energy security, there is a session relating to health and there is a third session relating to digital transformation. The interventions by the leaders at each of these sessions would limit themselves to these aspects. Of course, there is a global, economic and political context in which the G20 Summit is taking place. We at this stage don't know what references to this context will be there in the communique etc. But the leaders themselves per se would essentially be participating in these three sessions.
Madhurendra jo aapka prashn tha bharatiya samuday se jo pradhanmantri ji ka jo interaction hoga, ye standard jo bharatiya samuday se jo jab bhi pradhanmantri ji ki yatra hoti hai usmein jo bharatiya samuday jaisa ki maine kaha aur jaisa ki aapne bhi kaha indonesia mein jo sanskritik roop se do samajo ke beech mein jo sambandh rahe hai woh kafi prachinatam sambandh rahe hai aur bharatiya samuday ki kaafi ek shashakt upasthiti indonesia mein hai to bali ki yatra ke dauran pradhanmantri ji bharatiya samuday se bhi interact karenge. (Answered in Hindi; Approximate Translation) Madhurendra, your question was that the interaction of the Prime Minister with the Indian community, this is standard that whenever the Prime Minister goes for visits, he interacts with the Indian community, and as I said and as you also said, the cultural relationship between two societies in Indonesia has been the oldest relationship and the Indian community has a very strong presence in Indonesia. So, during his visit to Bali, the Prime Minister will also interact with the Indian community.
I couldn't get the connect Meghna in your question between the mangrove forest and the digital tech part which you mentioned. You know, the entire ecosystem of issues that relate to environment conservation, sustainable lifestyles, and of course, climate conservation preservation. Mangrove, as I said, is very crucial to the biodiversity rubric of a country and we ourselves hold a very strong mangrove forest cover. The event in Bali is essentially a brief event during one of the days in which the President of Indonesia will, we don't know whether all the leaders will go but that's the expectation, all the leaders will go and participate in this small event, which essentially showcases Indonesia’s own efforts relating to the mangrove forest cover. What we do in India on the expansion of mangrove forest cover, what we propagate globally for this is obviously, a line of effort, which remains very, very continuous and very, very strong at this stage.
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Are there any other queries? Okay, last round.
Speaker 1: Which day is the Mangrove forest visit?
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: I think it's on day two morning but let them work out the program. Yes, please.
Sandhya: Sandhya with ET. Quick one on the digital transformation. What is PM’s message going to be on this and are we going to highlight any particular issues with respect to digital transformation as the world faces the challenges on currency?
Shri Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Secretary: Are you referring to crypto?
Sandhya: Crypto.
Shri Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Secretary: As I said earlier on also in response to one of the questions, the space of delivery of governance through digital, through use of digital public platforms, through digital goods, through digital products, through digital services is a space which is full of multiple opportunities across the entire range of economic activity. You touched upon only one aspect of it, which is the crypto and I think if you look at the governance space, whether it is delivery of governance in the health space and Pandemic showed us very, very clearly or across any other range of economic activity, the use of digital technology to be able to deliver that governance more efficiently, administratively more efficiently, more transparently, is something which over the last six to seven year has assumed a global recognition in terms of what India's achievements have been, what India has been able to do in this field. As I said earlier, it would not be correct for me to pre judge in any way as to what the Honourable Prime Minister's interventions would be. But there is a full ecosystem of what country has done under Prime Minister's leadership. I'm sure a lot of this will find a mention and will be mentioned by other countries also, during the Bali Summit.
Akhilesh Suman: Akhilesh Suman from Sansad TV. Sir just I wanted to know who will be the part of the delegation with Prime Minister and will there be a G20 declaration?
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Look, of course, our delegation always till it's finalized when it leaves I'm hesitant to comment. But on the other hand, the Sherpa is already in Bali, the Sherpa meetings are going on. We'll have External Affairs Minister there, we will have delegation members, I think NSA is also part of the delegation. But till it happens, look these things change today and tomorrow, when it takes off I don't want to commit to a delegation composition. As regards the other elements sir which he was asking the outcome.
Shri Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Secretary: The communique of the G20 Bali Summit is still under negotiation. I think our team led by Sherpa, our sous Sherpa, and the other Senior Officials are currently in Bali, the communique is in fairly advanced stages of negotiation, but it's not final at this stage. So till it is final its elements are obviously not made public. But yeah, that is something which is under negotiations.
Sandhya: Since you were discussing the communique. I just wanted to ask you from what we understand the real differences are over two paragraphs on the subject of the war in Ukraine. Is India agreeable to a special mention of the war in Ukraine? Or is it going to be about just the after effects of the food security and energy security issues?
Shri Vinay Kwatra, Foreign Secretary: I'll just mention a couple of things for your consideration. One, the G20 communique is by consensus, it is not a document that is voted upon. So whatever communique is there, it would be a consensus document. Two, communique is the culmination of a year long set of meetings of the G20 Presidency of any country, which includes several ministerial for example, if I recall correctly, even within just last six to seven months since post pandemic, the physical meetings had become more frequent. India itself has participated in 12 ministerials at the level of ministers. Now outcome of those ministerial documents, whether it's an agreed communique, or it’s the chair statement, does find a reflection and specific mentioned in the G20 final communique also, and that communique remains under discussion. Obviously, all the outcomes of the other ministerial will feed into it, the political context of what's happening in the world as a part of it, whether you call off the conflict itself or the knock on effect, as I said, in what way it emerges finally in the communique I think is remains to be seen because it is still under discussions and negotiations in the Bali.
Shri Arindam Bagchi, Official Spokesperson: Thank you very much. Thank you for the detailed presentation. Thank you for joining us and we will continue to update you as the visit unfolds. Thank you.