G20 Summit: PM interventions, Indonesia, S Africa trips helped India build consensus

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also contributed to narrowing differences among various G20 members.

The task for India's G20 Sherpa to strike a fine balance with the West and reach a consensus perhaps was no less tougher than those negotiating the Khumbu icefall on the way to summit Mt Everest.

Amitabh Kant and his team had sleepless nights in framing India's stand on the Ukraine crisis amid rising uproar from the West to slam Russian aggression, while also ensuring that New Delhi's growing trade with Moscow is not derailed. The consensus was finally reached through hard bargains and intense discussions among the G20 negotiating teams.

New Delhi strategically maintained a balanced approach between the Western nations and Russia through the G20 summit, charting a path of neutrality while working to build consensus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made it clear that India would not take sides in the Ukraine conflict and, instead, prioritise issues affecting Global South.

The New Delhi Declaration reaffirms the G20’s role as the premier forum for international economic cooperation. While it acknowledges that the G20 is not the platform for resolving geopolitical and security issues. However, it acknowledges that such issues can have significant economic consequence. India has consistently advocated against politicising the G20 process.

India’s decision not to provide a platform, either physically or virtually, to the president of Ukraine influenced Russia's stance. New Delhi faced significant pressure to invite the Ukraine president to the G20 Summit. Western nations initially focused on addressing Russia's role in Ukraine but later shifted their attention to economic challenges within the G20 framework. These diplomatic manoeuvres highlight the complexities of managing international relations within the G20 context, where economic and geopolitical considerations intersect.

More importantly, the need for consensus was also discussed in a meeting between US President Joe Biden and PM Modi in the Capital on September 8. While New Delhi maintained communication with Moscow on the matter, a meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Jakarta played a crucial role, the Economic Times reported. Moneycontrol couldn't verify the report independently.

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Additionally, PM Modi engaged in critical discussion with visiting leaders on September 8-9. PM Modi's recent visits to South Africa and Indonesia, along with India's proactive engagement in the Brics process, played a significant role in achieving consensus, people aware of the matter told the financial daily. India, along with key partners such as Indonesia, Brazil, and South Africa, took the lead in persuading other G20 member nations on the importance of reaching a consensus.

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The Sherpa track, led by Amitabh Kant, and the G20 secretariat played a pivotal role in achieving significant progress during the past week. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also contributed to narrowing differences among various G20 members.

There is a marked difference between the declarations made at the G20 summits in Bali and New Delhi regarding references to the Ukraine-Russia war.

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“Concerning the war in Ukraine, while recalling the discussion in Bali, we reiterated our national positions and resolutions adopted at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly (resolution nos. ES-11/1 and ES-11/6) and underscored that all states must act in a manner consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter in its entirety,” as per the wording of the New Delhi Declaration.