G20 Foreign Ministers Meet Highlights: US Secretary Of State Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Briefly Meet Amid Ukraine War Tensions
G20 Foreign Ministers Meet Latest Updates: For the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting (G20 FMM), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in India early on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov briefly met in Delhi on Thursday, their first contact in months amid escalating tension over the Ukraine conflict. Blinken and Lavrov had a very brief interaction on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, a Russian official said. "Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked for contact with Foreign Minister Lavrov, during the second session of the G20 meet," Russian spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, PTI reported.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who is attending a two-day meeting of the G20 foreign ministers, said in Delhi on Thursday that it was high time to reform the UN Security Council. Those attending the G20 foreign ministers meeting include US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Germany's Annalena Baerbock and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
US State Secretary Antony Blinken and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi. The bilateral talks took place in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
"Pleased to meet US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting sidelines. Opportunity to review bilateral ties and discuss global issues," tweeted Jaishankar.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, who are in New Delhi, met on the sidelines of the G20 Foreing Ministers' Meeting.
Both the foreign ministers shared the room with US State Secretary Antony Blinken during the meeting.
The G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting is currently underway in the national capital. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "Discussions to focus on contemporary challenges around multilateralism, food & energy security and development cooperation."
The room is currently being shared by US State Secretary Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who have come together for the first time since July 2022. Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang is also attending the meeting.
Delegates from Quad nations, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese deputy foreign minister Kenji Yamada are also present in the room.
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni laid wreath at Rajpath. She met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and received a a ceremonial walk in Rashtrapati Bhawan.
The foreign delegates at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held a minute of silence for the victims of Turkey and Syria earthquake which claimed the lives of over 44 thousand people.
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines on G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi. The Italian PM also received a ceremonial walk at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that experience of last few years -- financial crisis, pandemic, terror, wars -- have shown "global governance failed in its mandates." We should not allow issues that we cannot resolve together to come in way of those we can, he added.
We must all acknowledge that multilateralism is in crisis today, PM Modi says.
As leading economies of world, we also have a responsibility towards those who are not in this room, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during his address. We all have our positions and perspectives on how geopolitical tensions should be resolved, he added.
India's theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' for its G20 Presidency signals need for unity of purpose, action, said PM Modi.
Speaking at the opening of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said "this grouping bears an exceptional responsibilities."
"We first came together in the midst of a global crisis and are today once again actually confronting multiple ones."
These include the impact of the COVID pandemic, concerns of fragile supply chains, the knock-on effects of ongoing conflicts, anxiety of debt crisis and disruption of climate events, he said.
The Union Minister said that while considering these issues, "we may not all always be of one mind. In fact, there are some matters of sharp differences of opinions and views. Yet, we must find common ground and provide direction because that is what the world expects of us."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the foreign delegates at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the national capital and said that "I have full trust in your collective vision and ability.
I welcome you to India for G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. It signals the need for unity, a purpose and unity of action. I hope that your meeting today will reflect the spirit of coming together for achieving common & concrete objectives."
We must all acknowledge that multilateralism is in crisis today. The architecture of the global governance created after the Second world war was to prevent future wars by balancing competing interests & second to foster international cooperation on issues of common interest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the foreign delegates at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the national capital and said that "I have full trust in your collective vision and ability.
I welcome you to India for G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. It signals the need for unity, a purpose and unity of action. I hope that your meeting today will reflect the spirit of coming together for achieving common & concrete objectives."
We must all acknowledge that multilateralism is in crisis today. The architecture of the global governance created after the Second world war was to prevent future wars by balancing competing interests & second to foster international cooperation on issues of common interest
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, France Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farha arrived at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting venue in the national capital where they were welcomed by EAM S Jaishankar.
Blinken is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this evening.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation arrived at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting venue.
Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Kenji Yamada and Australian foreign minister Penny Wong arrived at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting venue in Delhi. Both the foreign delegates were welcomed by EAM Jaishankar at the venue.
South African foreign minister Nalendi Pandor reaches the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting venue in the national capital where he was welcomed by EAM S Jaishankar.
EAM S Jaishankar welcomed Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Argentinian Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero at the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meet venue in the national capital.
Ahead of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meet, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomes German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Italian Foreign Minister Giorgia Meloni at the event venue.
Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman arrived in India this morning ahead of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meet in the national capital.
Spanish Minister For Foreign Affair José Manuel arrives in Delhi to participate in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meet.
World Trade Organisation Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala reached Delhi ahead of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meet.
US Secretary of State Antony Bkinken has arrived in India to participate in G20 Foreign Ministers' Meet in the national capital.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan arrives in India ahead of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meet in New Delhi.
Background
The foreign ministers of the world's largest industrialized and developing nations will discuss important global issues at the meeting in Delhi on Thursday. Many diplomats worry that the meeting could be contentious because it takes place as tensions between the US-led West and the Russia-China coalition over the Ukraine conflict are getting worse.
At the meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Qin Gang of China, James Cleverly of the UK, and Josep Borrell Fontelles, High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union, will be in the same room as several of their counterparts to discuss the conflict in Ukraine and other topics.
Jaishankar hosted a welcome reception for the G20 foreign ministers' delegations on Wednesday evening. Foreign ministers from a number of nations attended the reception, but Blinken, China's Qin, Germany's Annalena Baerbock, and France's Catherine Colonna were not present because they had not yet arrived in Delhi.
Due to the hardening of their respective positions on the Ukraine conflict by the Russia-China group and the West, there have been concerns that there won't be a consensus on a joint communiqué at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting.
Kwatra said that the foreign ministers would clearly discuss the ongoing situation between Russia and Ukraine ahead of Thursday's crucial G20 meeting in the national capital. He also said that the impact of the conflict on the world's food, energy, and fertiliser security is a major focus for the Indian presidency.
"I don't think it would be really correct for me to prejudge the outcome of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. I think we should let the plenipotentiaries of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting decide that on their own," he said quoted PTI.
"But we are very clear that the foreign ministers should focus on all the priorities that are currently very relevant in the global context," he said.
The main discussions will take place on Thursday, despite the fact that India hosted the G20 foreign ministers and other guests at the gala reception on Wednesday evening.
According to Kwatra's statement, "Given the nature and the developing situation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, naturally that would be an important point of discussions during the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting."
In response to a question regarding Russia and China's disagreement with paragraphs three and four of the G20 Chair's Summary and Outcome Document, which was released following a meeting of the group's finance ministers and central bank governors in Bengaluru, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stated that it is up to the two countries to provide an explanation.
The paragraphs were taken from the "leaders" declaration that the G20 made at the Bali summit in November. One of the phrases said, "Today's era must not be of war."
Bagchi stated, "You need to ask them whether they no longer stand with the text from Bali."
In addition, the foreign secretary mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's September statement in Samarkand that "this is not an era of war."
Kwatra also pointed out that Modi had made it clear in his conversations with the leaders of the world, including those of Russia and Ukraine, that dialogue and diplomacy were the best way to end the conflict.
In addition, the foreign secretary recalled India's role in the Bali declaration.
Kwatra stated, "What would foreign ministers discuss tomorrow, what understanding they would arrive at on this subject, whether that understanding would be to the exclusion of the other agenda items etc are the issues for the foreign ministers to decide."
Forty delegations, according to the foreign secretary, will attend the meeting, including those from G20 nations, guest nations, and international organisations.
Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates make up the delegations from the guest nations.
Kwatra stated, "Surely, it will be one of the largest gathering of foreign ministers hosted by any G20 presidency."
Additionally, the foreign ministers are likely to discuss ways to deal with rising food, fuel, and fertilizer costs, decreasing demand for goods and services, and falling economic growth.
However, it is anticipated that the conflict in Ukraine will be the major flashpoint between the West and Russia and China.
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