New Delhi, Nov 21 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed on Friday for a three-day visit to Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the 20th G20 Leaders’ Summit, the first such gathering to be hosted on African soil. His three-day visit will focus on strengthening India’s engagement with the Global South and advancing discussions on key global challenges.
In his departure statement, PM Modi expressed anticipation for his schedule: “I look forward to my interactions with leaders of the partner countries and participation in the 6th IBSA Summit scheduled on the sidelines of the Summit,” he said. He is also set to engage with the Indian diaspora in South Africa.
The summit’s theme is ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,’ which closely aligns with India’s foundational philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is one family) and ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future.
The leaders will concentrate on crucial global challenges, including inclusive and sustainable economic growth, disaster risk reduction, climate change, and artificial intelligence.
PM Modi is expected to speak in all three sessions of the summit, where he will present India’s perspectives on these critical topics.
This is PM Modi’s fourth official visit to South Africa, underscoring the strong bilateral relationship. The G20 Summit offers India a platform to strengthen ties with member countries and advocate for its vision of a more equitable and sustainable world order.
According to Sudhakar Dalela, Secretary (ER) in the Ministry of External Affairs, the G20 continues to serve as a crucial platform for consensus-building among major economies. He noted that the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration (2023) has provided a strong foundation for outcome documents adopted under South Africa’s presidency. Several Indian-led priorities — including digital public infrastructure, women-led development, accelerated SDG progress, disaster risk reduction, and women’s empowerment — have received strong endorsement this year.
Dalela added that the Johannesburg summit concludes the successful presidency cycle of four emerging economies — Indonesia, India, Brazil, and South Africa — which has collectively sharpened the G20’s focus on issues central to the Global South. “We look forward to a successful and productive G20 Summit in Johannesburg,” he said.
