Indian G20 Presidency to ‘Depoliticize’ Global Food & Fertilizer Supplies: Modi

On Thursday, India officially assumed the presidency of the G20, an inter-governmental grouping that came into being after the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that depoliticization of the global supply of food, fertilizer and medicine would rank among the top priorities of India's G20 presidency.

The Indian leader cautioned against the “zero-sum mindset” prevalent across the world, as he noted that few countries have been found to “weaponize” supplies of essential goods.

“We see it when supplies of essential goods are weaponized. We see it when vaccines are hoarded by a few, even as billions remain vulnerable,” the Indian Prime Minister stated.

India, like many other developing countries, has been critical of escalating fuel and food prices caused by Western countries’ attempts to phase Russian commodities out of the global supply chain in the wake of the special military operation in Ukraine.

The Indian leadership has on several occasions also warned that the spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis are being disproportionately borne by low and middle-income countries.

New Delhi highlights that the high commodity prices have exacerbated the debt burden in 70 low and middle-income countries, even as over 200 million have fallen below the poverty line due in the post-COVID pandemic era.

In this regard, India’s G20 agenda would reflect the voices of India’s “fellow travelers in the Global South’, whose voices he said have gone “unheard” till now in the global decision-making process, Modi said.

India’s G20 presidency marks the first time in the inter-governmental organization’s history that a leadership ‘Troika’ is comprised of developing countries — India, Indonesia as the past president and Brazil as the next president.

Modi also said that India would look to play its part in healing the geopolitical divides in order to advance its vision of ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’.

“India’s G20 agenda will be inclusive, ambitious, action-oriented, and decisive,” Prime Minister Modi remarked.

India to ‘Do G20 Very Differently’

Addressing a G20 ‘University Connect’ event in New Delhi on the first day of India’s presidency, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar remarked that India would “do G20 very differently” from the previous 17 presidencies.

He underscored that New Delhi was taking over the G20 presidency at a “very challenging time in world politics and an an infection point in India’s own history.”

“It shouldn’t be regarded as just another diplomatic happening. It is a crucial responsibility,” stated Jaishankar.

Jaishankar noted that the Indian government will host 200 events in 50 locations across the country in the lead up to the G20 Leaders’ Meeting scheduled to take place in New Delhi next September.

He said that India has invited the UAE, Egypt, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore, Nigeria, the Netherlands and Spain as “guest nations” during its G20 presidency.

The G20 countries account for 85 percent of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 78 percent of global trade and around two thirds of the world's population.