Bali: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had informal interactions with US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron and several other global leaders on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G20 summit here and exchanged views on a range of issues.
In an address at the G20 summit here, Modi said that climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, the developments in Ukraine and the global problems associated with it have caused havoc in the world and rued that the global supply chains are in “ruins”.
Referring to India’s upcoming G-20 presidency, Modi said he was confident when the leaders of the grouping meet in the “holy land of Buddha and Gandhi, we will all agree to convey a strong message of peace to the world.”
“PM @narendramodi and @POTUS @JoeBiden interact during the @g20org Summit in Bali,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a tweet.
Modi also met UK’s Prime Minister Sunak, their first face-to-face interaction since he assumed power last month.
“Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @RishiSunak in conversation during the first day of the @g20org Summit in Bali,” the PMO said in another tweet.
“A brief discussion at the start of the @g20org Summit with President @EmmanuelMacron,” the PMO tweeted.
Modi is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with Sunak and Macron, apart from holding a meeting with the host country’s president Joko Widodo on Wednesday.
He met Senegal President and Chairman of the African Union Macky Sall.
“@narendramodi interacted with President @Macky_Sall, the President of Senegal and Chairman of the African Union. @PR_Senegal,” the PMO said in another tweet.
Modi also met Netherlands President Mark Rutte.
“Multilateral summits present wonderful opportunities for leaders to exchange views on diverse issues. Prime Ministers @narendramodi and Mark Rutte interact during the @g20org Summit in Bali. @MinPres,” the PMO added.
Modi also met the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva and and India-born Gita Gopinath, the deputy managing director of the IMF.
“Enriching interaction with @KGeorgieva and @GitaGopinath,” the PMO tweeted.
Modi also met World Bank President David Malpass.
“Happy to have met @WorldBank President @DavidMalpassWBG,” Modi tweeted.
India will assume G20 Presidency for one year, beginning December 1, 2022. The G20 comprises 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the USA and the European Union (EU).
PM Modi, Chinese President Xi shake hands at side event at G20 Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping shook hands Tuesday at a side event at the G20 Summit here, a gesture drawing some attention because of the strained relations between the two countries over a border clash two years back.
A live video feed for the media from the welcome dinner hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo for G20 delegates showed the exchange between the two leaders.
There had been some speculation over a possible bilateral meeting between the two leaders on the margins of the Group of 20 Summit, which began Tuesday. But the agenda made known by both sides so far does not slot such a meeting.
In September, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi came face-to-face at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Uzbek city of Samarkand for the first time since the start of the border standoff in eastern Ladakh.
There was no report of a handshake or exchange of pleasantries between Modi and Xi at that time.
