PM Modi to depart for G20 summit on Wednesday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for a five-day visit to Argentina on Wednesday to attend G20 summit. The summit is slated for November 30- December 1.

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale at a press conference said that Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral meetings with a number of leaders. He will be returning on December 2.

"There is always scope in the margins of G20 for a meeting between the BRICS head of states and that meeting is confirmed. The Prime Minister will also meet the President of China Xi Jinping which was decided at the BRICS summit of Johannesburg," Gokhale added.

He added at the 10th anniversary of the G20, India expects that the World leaders will discuss the achievements of the summit in the past 10 years and the future course of the summit. "At the tenth anniversary of the G20, it is our expectation that leaders will reflect on what has been achieved in past 10 years and what could be done in next 10 years," he said.

The Prime Minister will be addressing the summit and will discuss important topics including Ayushman Bharat, MUDRA yojana, JanDahn and GST.

Gokhale also revealed that the theme for the 10th G20 summit as decided by Buenos Aires is "building consensus for fair and sustainable development."

The meeting is divided into three sections which are 'putting people first', 'building consensus' and 'embracing opportunity'.

The Foreign Secretary further said that India will highlight several challenges including the threat posed by oil price volatility which has directly impacted the Indian economy, and the digital revolution, considering how it can lead to employment opportunity.

When questioned about a possible meeting between Prime Minister Modi and United States President Donald Trump, the foreign secretary said that India is currently working on various bilateral meetings during the upcoming summit.

One of the focal points of the G20 will be a multilateral meeting on World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the reforms needed in the organisation in a manner that it serves India's interest. He also reiterated that the summit will not be hijacked by a single issue like 'the trade'.

Gokhale further said that India and its delegation will also focus on reformed multilateralism in an attempt to bring together all the nations in G20 to work together towards reform and address issues.