Biden to kick off G20 summit with Modi meeting in Delhi on Friday

United States President Joe Biden is set to arrive in New Delhi on Friday, where he will engage in a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before participating in the G20 Leaders’ Summit over the weekend.

The White House announced that President Biden will have an official arrival and handshake with Prime Minister Modi on Saturday, marking the start of his visit. Subsequently, he will actively participate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit, a gathering of leaders from the world's 20 largest economies. On Sunday, President Biden will visit the Raj Ghat Memorial to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi before departing for Vietnam.

India's G20 Presidency and challenges ahead

India assumed the presidency of the G20 in December and has since hosted various meetings covering 32 sectors. The culmination of these events will be the gathering of heads of governments and states from the world's most significant economies during the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

However, as President Biden prepares to attend the summit, his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, noted that achieving "absolute consensus on Ukraine" at the G20 could be challenging. He expressed doubts about Russia, which will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, changing its position regarding the Ukraine issue. Sullivan highlighted that a majority of both the United Nations (UN) and G20 member nations opposed Russia's "illegal invasion" of Ukraine.

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Biden's agenda at the summit

President Biden is expected to use the G20 platform to address Russia's actions in Ukraine. He will speak out against the war and its "devastating consequences," advocating for a "just and durable peace" in accordance with the UN charter, international law, and principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Russia and China have opposed including language agreed upon during the previous summit in Bali concerning Ukraine, potentially jeopardizing the prospect of a joint communique being issued at the current summit. When questioned about India's stance on the war in Ukraine, Sullivan indicated that India had endorsed the statement.

Sullivan underlined the United States' strong commitment to the G20 as a forum for delivering meaningful outcomes during a time of significant global economic challenges. He emphasized the link between the American agenda at the Summit and President Biden's domestic economic policy, which involves increased investments at home. The US will push for an ambitious agenda of reforming multilateral development banks, particularly the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, with the aim of making them "bigger and better."

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As President Biden's visit to India unfolds and the G20 Summit progresses, international attention remains focused on addressing critical global issues and fostering cooperation among the world's leading economies.