Johannesburg: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was warmly welcomed by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as he arrived to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit at Nasrec in South Africa’s Johannesburg on Saturday.
PM Modi is among several prominent world leaders attending the November 22-23 summit.
After his arrival in Johannesburg on Friday afternoon, local time, PM Modi said that he is looking forward to hold “productive discussions” with world leaders on key global issues.
“Our focus will be on strengthening cooperation, advancing development priorities and ensuring a better future for all,” PM Modi posted on X after his arrival.
On the margins of the G20 Leaders’ Summit, PM Modi is also expected to hold a series of bilateral meetings with some of the world leaders present in Johannesburg.
On Friday, he held a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese where the two leaders reviewed the steady expansion of the India-Australia partnership and identified key sectors for deeper collaboration.
In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi described the discussions as “very good”, noting that this year marks five years of the strategic partnership between the two nations.
“Had a very good meeting with PM Albanese of Australia. This year, the strategic partnership between our nations completes 5 years, and these years have witnessed transformative outcomes that have deepened our cooperation. During our talks today, we emphasised three key sectors, defence and security, nuclear energy and trade, where there is immense potential for ties to grow further. The other sectors discussed included education, cultural exchanges and more,” PM Modi wrote.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the “deepening and diversification of cooperation” between India and Australia, especially following the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020.
According to the MEA, the Australian Prime Minister conveyed solidarity with India over the recent terror attack in the country, and both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the global fight against terrorism.
The meeting covered a broad spectrum of cooperation, including political and strategic engagement, defence and security, energy, trade and investment, critical minerals, technology, mobility, education, and people-to-people linkages.
The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.
This is the fourth consecutive G20 Summit being held in the Global South – the first to take place on African soil – and it is Prime Minister Modi’s fourth official visit to South Africa following his bilateral visit in 2016 and later for the two BRICS summits in 2018 and 2023.
“This will be a particularly special Summit given that it would be the first G20 Summit being held in Africa. During India’s Presidency of the G20 in 2023, the African Union had become a member of the G20,” read the Prime Minister’s departure statement on Friday.
“The Summit will be an opportunity to discuss key global issues. The theme of this year’s G20 has been ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’, by which South Africa has carried forward the outcomes from the previous Summits held in New Delhi, India and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I will present India’s perspective at the Summit in line with our vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future,’ PM Modi said.
(IANS)
