NEW DELHI: India Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, February 23, held a series of meetings with various dignitaries, including Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister, United States’ Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and prime minister of Canada Chrystia Freeland, discussing an array of issues such as strengthening of multilateral development banks, debt related issues and crypto assets.
The meeting came a day before the crucial first 'Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors' (FMCBG) meeting. The FMCBG meeting will be held between February 24-25 in Bangalore.
Nirmala Sitharaman and Yellen talked about their views on bolstering MDBs, vulnerabilities associated with the world's debt, cryptocurrency, and health. Similarly, Sitharaman and her Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki exchanged views on priorities under G20 Finance Track 2023.
Both Sitharaman and Suzuki anticipated tight collaboration between Japan as the G7 Presidency and India as the G20 Presidency on topics relating to debt-related issues, strengthening MDBs, funding cities of the future, and coordinated policies for crypto assets.
The Japanese minister promised to help India during its G20 presidency "wholeheartedly."
Later on in the day, Sitharaman met with Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Canada, and the two discussed goals for the G20 Indian Presidency.
Sitharaman thanked Canada for its assistance with the FMCBG Communiqué, cooperation with MDB reform, and support for climate funding.
Freeland said that the pension funds in Canada are aware of the safety and opportunity of investing in India with a large population, economy size and democratic structure, and will approach the National Infrastructure and Investment Fund (NIIF).
She gave the Finance Minister her word that she would back India when it held the G20 Presidency.
In a tweet on Nirmala Sitharaman's meeting with her Japanese counterpart, the finance ministry said the ministers exchanged views on priorities under G20 Finance Track 2023.
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