G20 Sherpa Amitab Kant and G20 India Coordinator Harsh V Shringla along with over 40 various heads of missions and heads of international organisations received an enthusiastic welcome at Swaraj Dweep (Andaman & Nicobar) for the G20 curtain raiser. This comes ahead of India assuming the G20 presidency.
India will assume the G20 presidency on December 1. Over 40 mission heads and international organisations visited Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the G20 curtain raiser on Friday.
The delegates took a tour of the Cellular Jail where author and ideologue Veer Savarkar was lodged by the British. G20's India coordinator, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and G-20 Sherpa, Amitabh Kant accompanied the delegates during the tour.
G20's India Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that a Yoga session was held at sunrise at Kala Pathar Beach in which all the G20 Ambassadors also participated and a beach cleaning activity was also carried out, the Ambassadors participated in that too. "A Yoga session was held at sunrise at Kala Pathar Beach. All G20 Ambassadors who have come to Andamans from Delhi also participated. After that, we also carried out beach cleaning activity. The Ambassadors participated in that too," Harsh Vardhan Shringla told ANI.
G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that It was highlighted to all the ambassadors that today is the anniversary of Mumbai Terror Attack. He also said that terrorism must end and every country must cooperate to play a very significant role in ending terrorism and outcast those who indulge in terrorism.
"It was highlighted to them(Ambassadors)that today is anniversary of #MumbaiTerrorAttack. We strongly feel that terrorism must end & every country must cooperate to play a very significant role in ending terrorism & outcast those who indulge in terrorism," Amitabh Kant was quoted by ANI as saying.
"This was brought home to all of them and the Ambassadors agreed to play a very major role. There is total agreement on the fact that we should take action - very ruthless and firm action on terrorism," he added.
On the reason behind the selection of Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the G20 curtain raiser, Shringla told news agency ANI, "Andaman is very important. If you recall when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Bali for the G20 Summit, he told the Indonesian President that we are not 90 nautical miles apart, we are 90 nautical miles close. So that 90 nautical kilometres are right here, right in the Andamans. So this is symbolic. Andaman is the closest to Indonesia."
Meanwhile, G-20 Sherpa said, "We have started our journey from Andamans because there are unsung freedom fighters who were imprisoned in the cellular jail of India. And therefore, we thought it fit that many of our freedom fighters, including Veer Savarkar, who was imprisoned here, should tell the stories to all the foreigners and ambassadors, as well as leading international organisations and all the invitees," as quoted by ANI.
India will put forward a different perspective to the task of the G20 Summit, that respects those developing countries across in a better way that we need to encourage and support, said Australia's High Commissioner to India, Barry O'Farrell on Friday as India all set to assume the G20 presidency on December 1 this year.
"India will bring a different perspective to the task of the G20, a perspective that respects better those developing countries across that we need to encourage & support," Barry O'Farrell told ANI.
Moreover, Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov, who was also present in Andaman and Nicobar Islands for the G20 curtain raiser also reaffirmed his support for India's upcoming G20 Presidency. "We'll support all endeavours of India in the year to come," the Russian ambassador said while speaking to ANI. The agenda of India's G20 Presidency will likely be cooperation for sustainable and equitable development for shared global peace and prosperity and capacity building to face emerging global challenges.
(With ANI Inputs)