S Jaishankar to visit Bali on July 7, 8 to take part in G20 foreign ministers’ meeting

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia is holding a meeting within the framework of Indonesia G20 Presidency. At the Bali meeting, participating foreign ministers will “deliberate on issues of contemporary relevance, such as strengthening multilateralism and current global challenges including food and energy security”, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

During the visit, Jaishankar is also expected to hold several bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other G20 member states and invited countries. Jaishankar’s participation in the G20 Foreign ministers’ meeting, the MEA said, will “strengthen India’s engagement with G20 member states”.

“As a G20 troika member and as the incoming G20 Presidency, India’s role in the upcoming discussions assumes even greater importance. We are currently extending steadfast support to the Indonesian Presidency and will be taking forward discussions on contemporary global challenges, with a view to achieving meaningful outcomes, during our Presidency,” the MEA said in a statement.

In May this year, former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla was appointed as the coordinator for the G-20 summit which will be hosted by India in 2023. This is a newly-created role for organising the summit, which will include both substantive as well as logistics. Commerce minister Piyush Goyal will remain the G-20 sherpa.

G-20 members represent more than 80 per cent of world GDP, 75 per cent of international trade and 60 per cent of the world population. Sources said that every G-20 Presidency in the past has utilised the opportunity to chair the eminent forum of the world’s largest economies to shape the global discourse on key socio-economic and contemporary issues.

“The upcoming G20 Presidency is India’s chance to do the same and to put ourselves on the global stage and create initiatives on issues relevant for us,” the source said.