Amitabh Kant's book reveals what PM Modi said an hour before G20 Meet

Amitabh Kant with PM Modi

An hour before the G20 Summit kicked off on September 9, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi checked in with Sherpa Amitabh Kant about the status of the leaders’ declaration. When he learned there were still some issues to resolve, he firmly stated that he just wanted to see a consensus reached quickly. In response, Kant quickly gathered his fellow Sherpas and was able to secure the final agreement.

"I was to brief him on our progress so far. When he enquired about the Leaders' Declaration, I outlined the conflict between the US and China and informed him that the NDLD (New Delhi Leaders' Declaration) was still not finalised," Mr Kant writes in his book, news agency PTI has reported.

"He paused for a moment, wondering as to why bilateral issues were being raised in a multilateral meeting, before replying that he did not want to get into the procedures or the process, but wanted to see the result - a consensus - very soon. He expected the Sherpa to navigate and secure the final agreement," he adds.

These behind-the-scenes events are detailed in Kant's new book, “How India Scaled Mt G20: The Inside Story of the G20 Presidency.” India achieved a significant diplomatic victory by securing a consensus declaration during the G20 summit, effectively navigating major disagreements regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Modi announced the consensus on the 37-page declaration and its adoption at the beginning of the second session on the opening day of the two-day summit, which included some of the world’s major developed and developing nations.

Kant reflects in his book that the journey from the principles to the final draft of the New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Declaration (NDLD) was anything but easy. “The text underwent constant revisions and faced objections even after 300 hours of negotiations across more than 250 bilateral meetings. The seriousness of the negotiations weighed heavily on participants, but a mutually agreeable solution still seemed elusive,” he notes.

“PM Modi was acutely attuned to the stakes at play. He had instructed me to send him urgent situation reports every two hours, which demanded a great deal of multitasking and quick thinking. This continuous communication kept him informed and pushed us to act swiftly, helping us map out our negotiations and assess our progress,” he adds.

Kant describes how Russia insisted on including the term ‘sanction,’ leading to an extensive two-and-a-half-hour discussion with Alexander Pankin, Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, to encourage them to reconsider. “The stakes were high; a lack of compromise would have isolated Russia with a 19-1 vote against it. We ultimately had to clarify that such demands were unfeasible and unacceptable to other nations, making it clear that Russia's insistence was putting significant pressure on India,” he recalls.

Throughout the negotiations, Kant notes that the G7 nations pressured India to invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. However, India maintained its position of keeping the guest list exclusive to the G20 leaders. “On Dr. Jaishankar’s advice, I informed the Russian negotiator that if they did not agree, Zelenskyy would be the first speaker following Modi’s address. This assertive negotiation tactic paid off, and Russia eventually relented,” he states.

Kant also recounts another challenge: the head of the Chinese team raised a concern about a bilateral issue with the US regarding a section of the G20 declaration that stated the US would host the 2026 Summit. The Chinese Sherpa revealed that the US refused to grant visas, including for their Hong Kong governor. They insisted on a written guarantee of visa issuance before they would agree to geopolitical sections of the declaration.

The leaders’ meeting began at 9 a.m., while Kant engaged in parallel negotiations from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in a room adjacent to the Leaders’ Hall. “Along with Mike Pyle, the US Sherpa, and Li Kexin, the head of the Chinese team, we worked through the details of the letter. We decided to use the term ‘ensure’ instead of ‘guarantee.’ With China’s consent and America’s conditions met, we finally managed to get Russia, the US, China, the G7, and all other countries on board,” Kant writes.
As a result, a consensus was achieved on the very first day of the Leaders’ Summit, unlike the protracted negotiations that marred the 2022 Bali Summit. Kant describes this accomplishment as “no small feat.”

After lunch on September 9, Modi officially announced the declaration. Kant emphasizes that his book narrates how a nation once viewed as a developing power stepped up to lead on the world stage, offering solutions, forging alliances, and building bridges among nations.