Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed Friday for a three-day South Africa visit to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg. The summit, themed “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” marks the fourth consecutive G20 gathering held in the Global South.
Leaders are convening without US representation after President Donald Trump announced a boycott over his widely rejected claims that South Africa was persecuting its Afrikaner white minority. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is also skipping the summit, having reduced international travel.
PM Modi’s Summit Agenda
PM Modi is expected to speak in all three summit sessions covering inclusive economic growth, climate resilience, and artificial intelligence. The Prime Minister will present India’s perspectives on the G20 agenda, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
On the margins, Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders present in Johannesburg and participate in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders’ Meeting hosted by South Africa.
PM’s Departure Statement
“This will be a particularly special summit given that it will be the first G20 Summit being held in Africa. During India’s presidency of the G20 in 2023, the African Union had become a member of the G20,” Modi stated in his departure remarks.
“The Summit will be an opportunity to discuss key global issues. The theme of this year’s G20 has been ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’, by which South Africa has carried forward the outcomes from the previous summits held in New Delhi, India, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I will present India’s perspective at the Summit in line with our vision of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future,'” he added.
Summit Session Focus
The three sessions are titled: “Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth Leaving No One Behind: Building our economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden”; “A Resilient World – the G20’s Contribution: Disaster Risk Reduction; Climate Change; Just Energy Transitions; Food Systems”; and “A Fair and a Just Future for All: Critical Minerals; Decent Work; Artificial Intelligence.”
India’s G20 Legacy
India, under Modi’s leadership, spearheaded efforts leading to African Union membership in the G20—a landmark achievement during India’s 2023 G20 presidency, making this first African-hosted summit particularly significant.
