New Delhi: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed his appreciation to India for its efforts in preventing the politicization of the G20 Summit. Lavrov commended India's role in curbing Western attempts to introduce political agendas into the summit during a press briefing at the conclusion of the two-day gathering of global leaders from the world's top 20 economies. Lavrov described the Summit as a "milestone" and emphasized that India's proactive presidency had successfully unified G20 countries from the Global South for the first time in history. He hailed it as a groundbreaking summit that provides a path forward on numerous fronts.
He particularly praised India, along with its BRICS partners Brazil, China, and South Africa, for their active participation and their united stance in protecting their legitimate interests. Lavrov also addressed challenges related to climate change, highlighting that Western powers had not fulfilled their promise of providing USD 100 billion annually to developing nations to combat climate change.
Balancing Act in New Delhi Declaration
Under India's G20 presidency, a significant milestone was achieved with the unanimous agreement on the New Delhi Declaration. India successfully navigated the text on Ukraine, striking a fine balance by drawing attention to the human suffering and negative impacts of the conflict without singling out Moscow.
Regarding the situation in Ukraine, the declaration reaffirmed national positions and resolutions adopted at the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly. It emphasized the importance of all states acting in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter in its entirety and called for upholding international law, including territorial integrity and sovereignty, international humanitarian law, and the multilateral system safeguarding peace and stability.
The declaration also stressed the importance of peaceful conflict resolution, crisis management, diplomacy, and dialogue. It expressed unity in addressing the adverse effects of the conflict on the global economy and welcomed relevant and constructive initiatives.
Ukraine's Response
However, Ukraine criticized the text on Ukraine in the New Delhi Declaration for not specifically mentioning Russia. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oleg Nikolenko, expressed disappointment, stating that the omission prevented participants from gaining a better understanding of the situation. He remarked, "It is clear that Ukrainian participation in the G20 meeting would have provided a more comprehensive perspective on the situation."
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