India aims to keep politics out of G20 meet

NEW DELHI: India aims to take a balanced and measured approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict at the upcoming virtual G20 summit to prevent any politicisation of the forum amid efforts by certain G20 members to push for a stronger reference to the issue at the November 22 meeting, said people aware of the matter.

They said India has been of the firm belief that G20 is an economic forum and ensured that this principle was upheld under its presidency at the September 9-10 summit's joint declaration of leaders despite pressure to take a stronger position on the Ukraine conflict.

India will focus on the challenges faced by the global south, taking forward September's joint declaration, having positioned itself as a leader of emerging economies, the people said.


Observers said attempts to turn G20 meetings into forums to discuss conflicts and associated issues pose the risk of conflicts in South Asia finding their way to the G20 forum under a Chinese presidency in the future.

"India needs to be cautious in its approach while articulating its position on conflicts in G20 as well as on allowing the forum to be politicised as there are risks of South Asian conflicts coming to the agenda in a future presidency led by China or some other power," an observer of G20 affairs said on condition of anonymity.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has figured in India's bilateral discussions with several third countries, including the US, UK, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Egypt, as well as Brazil, which is set to take over the G20 presidency.

At the November 22 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to encapsulate the success of G20 under India's presidency in areas of economy, sustainable development, climate change and inclusion of African Union as the new member of the grouping.