Muscat: The Indian Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, Amit Narang Met the media of Oman at the Indian Embassy to summarize the achievements of the G20 Summit that concluded in New Delhi on Sunday.
He said the G20 Summit under India’s Presidency was a resounding success and it was the culmination of months of intensive efforts put together by Team India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And was also the result of painstaking diplomatic work among the participating countries, symbolizing a shared commitment to addressing pressing global challenges.
“As you are aware, the Sultanate of Oman participated in the G20 for the first time under India’s Presidency, on our invitation as our ‘Special Guest.’”
He said he was happy to note that the Sultanate of Oman honored India with their esteemed presence as a Special Guest during the G20 Presidency. The invitation by India to Oman underscores the deep-rooted and time-tested bonds of friendship and brotherhood that we share with Oman.
He noted, “We deeply value Oman's constructive participation in over 150 G20 meetings so far. Omani delegations enriched the Working Group discussions with their perspectives, and nine Ministers (Foreign Minister, Ministers of Tourism, Agriculture, Economy, Labor, Commerce, Health, and Chairpersons of State Audit and Environment Authority) of the Omani Government visited India over the past few months to join their Ministerial colleagues from the world over in productive deliberations. For this, we convey our appreciation to His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.”
He added that more importantly, it has provided an additional platform to deepen the bilateral partnership between India and Oman.
The ambassador said that His Highness Sayyid Asaad bin Tarik participating in the G20 Summit as His Majesty’s Personal Representative and his gracious remarks at the Leaders’ Sessions in which he congratulated India for the successful G20 Summit and lauded the invitation extended to Oman to participate as a Special Guest, are highly appreciated.
According to the ambassador, over the course of the past year, the G20 under India’s Presidency had sought to find solutions to some of the most pressing global problems, and in that process, has endeavored to put in place future-ready roadmaps for collective global progress.
The Summit that concluded yesterday brought together the leaders of the 20 member countries, nine invitee countries, and 14 international organizations. This diverse assembly was united in its collective determination to enhance cooperation and solidarity in an ever-changing world.
The message of India’s Presidency was that we are one earth, one family, and we share one future. This draws on an age-old belief of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" The entire proceedings of the New Delhi Summit were organized accordingly, with three sessions devoted to each aspect of this theme.
He shared five facets of India’s G20 Presidency.
One: India’s G20 Presidency was an ‘Outcome-rich Presidency’.
The Summit successfully adopted an outcome document – the G20 New Delhi Declaration. Spread over 34 pages and 83 paragraphs, this is a comprehensive and solutions-rich document that purposefully addresses a wide range of challenges confronting humankind today.
In its scope, scale, and ambition, the New Delhi Declaration embodies the spirit of collaboration, cooperation, and shared responsibility.
This path-breaking document was adopted with complete consensus on all developmental and geo-political issues and focuses on key issues such as promoting strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth; accelerating progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); a green development pact for a sustainable future; a blueprint for digital public infrastructure and reinvigorating multilateralism for the 21st century.
In other words, the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration is a powerful call for Planet, People, Peace, and Prosperity.
He said, “The Leaders’ Declaration was not, however, the only outcome document coming out of India’s Presidency. In fact, there were no less than 112 such outcomes and Presidency documents in different tracks, which is more than double the number for any past Presidency.”
India also took several new initiatives as the G20 President, many of which were announced during the Summit.
Notable among these is a Global Biofuel Alliance, which brings together 19 countries and 12 international organizations to foster global collaboration for the adoption of biofuels thereby reducing carbon emissions and promoting cleaner and greener energy solutions on a global scale.
Equally important was the announcement of an India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor(IMEC), a path-breaking initiative to stimulate economic development through enhanced connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Gulf, and Europe.
India’s Presidency was a ‘People’s Presidency’.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clarion call of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ or ‘People’s participation’, there was a concerted attempt to overcome the narrow confines of the national capital and to take the G20 to the people, to make people identify with it.
“Events over the past year were organized across 60 different cities in India in every corner of the vast country. It is fair to say that the popular participation and societal involvement with G20 during India’s Presidency was unprecedented.
Three: India’s Presidency has been an ‘Inclusive Presidency’.
India consciously tried to make the G20 as inclusive and broad-based as possible.
In January this year, you may recall, India hosted 125 developing countries in the ‘Voice of Global South Summit’, so that the priorities and concerns of the global South could be channeled into the G20 process.
To give you a sense of how tangible this effort was, I am happy to mention that Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi in his remarks at the Voice of Global South Summit had laid out ‘social justice’ and ensuring a ‘just transition’ as key priorities for Oman.
Both of these priorities are well captured in the New Delhi Declaration.
As far as inclusiveness is concerned, the Indian Presidency will, of course, be remembered for the long-overdue inclusion of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the Group.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar has explained how the then Chairperson of AU had complained that the issue of AU’s inclusion was not being discussed in the Group. This prompted Prime Minister Modi to assure him that it would be done under India’s Presidency.
It is a matter of pride and satisfaction that the continent of Africa will now have a permanent voice at the G20.
Four, India’s Presidency has been a ‘Bridging Presidency’.
In a world that is increasingly fragmented, India has worked to bridge divides and bring humanity together as one. This is reflected, as I have mentioned, in the unprecedented scope and ambition of the New Delhi Declaration, which is a rare example of global consensus on a very wide range of issues.
At a time of a global trust deficit, as Prime Minister Modi put it, India has succeeded in forging consensus on a new human-centric model of development under its theme of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’.
Fifth, and equally important, this Presidency has truly been a ‘Presidency of Bharat’, bringing the best of India to the global platform.
From cuisine to crafts, from traditions to technology, and from civilizational heritage to contemporary achievements, India’s Presidency has showcased the best of India to the world.
As External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar put it, the G20 has contributed to making India world-ready and the world India-ready.
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