Sri Lanka Prez Ranil, Bangladesh PM Hasina to attend India-hosted Voice of Global South Summit

New Delhi : India is keen to befriend the global powers, but it has always taken along countries which are under the Global South.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe will be among the 20 world leaders participating in the “Voice of the Global South Summit” (VGSS) on January 12 and 13, to be hosted by India virtually.

The summit will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Secretary, Vinay Kwatra said.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leaders from five African countries, Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique and Senegal, will also be three countries from the ASEAN grouping Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Leaders and heads of governments in Uzbekistan, Mongolia, UAE and Papua New Guinea are also expected.

“The theme of the Summit is – ‘Unity of voice, Unity of purpose’, and it essentially envisages bringing together countries of the global South and sharing their perspectives and priorities on a common platform across a whole range of issues. More than 120 countries are invited to this Voice of Global South Summit.

This initiative is inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas’,” the Foreign Secretary said.

He said the mega event is underpinned by India’s philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.

The summit will be an opportunity for non-G20 countries to share their ideas and expectations with the G20.

The ministerial sessions will be at Finance, Environment, Foreign, Energy, Health, Education, and Trade levels.

The Inaugural Leaders’ session theme is “Voice of Global South – for Human-Centric Development”, and that of the Concluding Leaders’ session is “Unity of Voice-Unity of Purpose”.

Four sessions will be held on January 12, and the remaining six sessions on January 13.

The Foreign Secretary said, “India has always been at the forefront and consistently championed the cause of the developing world. We have been strongly articulating the interest and concerns of our partners in the global South in all international fora and mechanisms”.

He maintained that matters related to the Covid pandemic, its severe impact and the fallout of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, increasing difficulties of access and affordability of food, fertilizer, and fuel, will figure prominently at the summit.

Kwatra said, “While assuming G20 Presidency, you would recall, Prime Minister Modi had said that India’s G20 priorities would be shaped in consultation with not just G20 partners but also with our fellow travellers in the Global South, whose voice often goes unheard”.

This summit, he pointed out, will thus also be an opportunity for those countries that are not part of the G20 process, he said. Mr Kwatra also said that “the Environment Ministers’ session will focus on the theme of ‘Balancing Growth with Environment-Friendly Lifestyles’.

He also stated, “The valuable inputs generated from the partner countries receive due cognizance globally, and India’s ongoing Presidency of the G20 provides us with a special and strong opportunity to channel these inputs into the deliberation and discourse of G20.”

To a question, the Foreign Secretary said, “The other element of the Voice of Global South Summit is that if you look at the concerns, interests and priorities of the large, overwhelming developing world that is outside the G20 often, the evidence will show that the relevant mechanisms that are supposed to factor them in, take them on board, address them, mitigate those challenges and amplify the opportunities”.