'Notable Period In Diplomatic History': EAM Jaishankar On India's G20 Presidency

Jaishankar said during a book launch on Friday that India has emerged as a consensus builder in the world after its successful G20 presidency.

Describing G20 as a notable period in India's diplomatic history, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Friday that the country has emerged as a friend and consensus builder in the world after its successful G20 presidency, reported news agency PTI. EAM Jaishankar attended the launch of a book titled 'India and the Future of G20: Shaping Policies for a Better World,' which was organized by the National University of Singapore's Institute of South Asian Studies. 

While speaking at the book launch, Jaishankar specifically highlighted how New Delhi successfully crafted a leaders' declaration at the G20 Summit in September 2023, overcoming divisions related to the Ukraine conflict, PTI reported.

"We had a particularly exciting last 48 hours before we came to that consensus," said Jaishankar, alluding to the hectic negotiations that were directed towards reconciling differences over the text regarding the Ukraine conflict in the declaration.

Jaishankar expressed that from India's standpoint, G20 served as a test of the country's ability to emerge as a 'vishwamitra'- a friend, a bridge builder in today's world, and a conensus builder, PTI reported.

The external affairs minister emphasised that India's G20 presidency marked a significant chapter in the nation's diplomatic history. He remarked that apart from getting multilateralism back on track and delivering on Prime Minister Modi's commitments to Africa, there is a lot more that India should be proud of.

The induction of the 55-nation African Union as a permanent G20 member was regarded as a significant milestone of India's presidency in bringing together world's 20 big economies in 2023, PTI reported.

The book explores a wide range of perspectives and insights contributed by distinguished scholars, policy practitioners, and G20 sherpas regarding India's presidency of the bloc.

The contributors concentrate on essential topics including the digital economy, climate finance, environmental standards, resilient supply chains, gender empowerment, the future of multilateralism, and the role of the Global South, PTI reported.