India is confident that the G20 will agree on the declaration, but the wording on Ukraine is unresolved.

India reaffirmed its optimism on Friday over the Group of 20 major countries’ ability to finalize a statement at their summit this weekend in New Delhi, with sources stating that the only outstanding issue was the language regarding the conflict in Ukraine.

Due to disagreements over the conflict, negotiators have been working hard to come to terms with the wording to include China and Russia in creating a statement that also addresses urgent global issues like debt and climate change.

Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 sherpa and chief negotiator, said that the Leaders’ Declaration, the summit’s final declaration, would represent the “voice” of the global south and developing nations.

The New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration is virtually finished so I won’t linger on it, Kant said during a press conference. “The leaders will be advised to support this statement.”

The language of the war was the only problem remaining, according to four officials in the Indian administration, and a second meeting of the sherpas to seek agreement was expected to last late into the night.

According to one source, a joint statement may or may not get unanimous support. The opinions of several nations might be expressed in distinct paragraphs, or one paragraph could include both agreement and disagreement.

A second insider remarked, “We may paper over the differences and make a general statement saying we should have peace and harmony throughout the world so that everyone agrees.”

Before the summit, the normally busy capital city of New Delhi was barren as shops, companies, and schools were shut down as part of security precautions to guarantee the success of the most important conference the nation has ever held.

Slums have been destroyed, and stray dogs and monkeys have been taken off the streets.

The Western world and its allies are predicted to control the summit. Premier Li Qiang of China is replacing missing Russian President Vladimir Putin at the conference instead of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Presidents of the United States Joe Biden, Germany’s Olaf Scholz, France’s Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Rishi Sunak, Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Bin Salman, and Japan’s Fumio Kishida will all be there.

If feasible, the leaders will need to find a workaround since the toughened attitude on the conflict has blocked agreement on even a single statement at the ministerial meetings so far under India’s G20 chairmanship.

China said on Friday that it is ready to collaborate with all parties and strive for a successful summit conclusion.

Speaking on behalf of the Chinese foreign ministry, Mao Ning commented after a report in the media said Sunak had accused China of holding up an agreement on several topics, including Ukraine.

In New Delhi, Sunak said he had no business advising India on how to feel about the conflict in Ukraine.

“It’s not my place to tell India what positions to take on global issues, but I know India rightly cares about the international rule of law, the UN Charter, and respect for territorial integrity,” Sunak said to the Indian news agency ANI.

India has refrained from accusing Moscow of starting the conflict and has advocated for diplomatic and diplomatic resolution. Sunak will advise his Indian counterpart to “call out” Russia for its invasion in February 2022, according to a story in the Financial Times on Thursday.

SUMMARY OF INDIA
The Indian administration wants to use the country’s group leadership and the summit to highlight its rapidly expanding economy and its ascent in the geopolitical food chain.

A brand-new summit site, fountains, flowerpots, and lighting along main thoroughfares have all been installed in New Delhi in preparation for the meeting, and there are also hundreds of armed security men on duty.

In a Friday demonstration held outside of the city center, more than 100 Tibetan refugees demanded that the summit address China’s “occupation” of their nation.

According to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, it would be difficult, but Washington was prepared to cooperate with India to draft a declaration at the summit’s conclusion.

According to analysts, deeper differences over the conflict in Ukraine run the danger of impeding progress on matters like global collaboration on climate change, food security, and debt crisis.

According to Yellen, Russia must halt its horrific Ukraine conflict to sustain global economic development.

A strong denunciation of the invasion is needed for the West to agree to a Delhi proclamation. India has recommended that the G20 should, in addition to denouncing the misery brought on by Russia’s incursion, express Beijing’s and Moscow’s stance that the forum is not appropriate for geopolitics.

Additionally, there are certain differences in collaboration on climate change, according to sources in the Indian administration.

Concerns about accelerating the adoption of renewable energy sources, raising renewable energy objectives, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions have caused disagreements within the organization.

According to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, G20 leaders should reform the outmoded and unjust global financial laws, saying they had the authority to stop the “spinning out of control” climate disaster.

According to Guterres, “The climate crisis is dramatically getting worse, but the collective response is lacking in ambition, credibility, and urgency.”