Foreign ministers from the world’s major economies convened in New Delhi on Thursday for a high-level ministerial meeting under India’s Group of 20 (G20) presidency.
The meeting was seen as a grand test for Indian diplomacy as the leaders hoped to find enough common ground to deliver a joint statement at the end of the summit. Unfortunately, India was unable to convince its counterparts to put their differences aside, mainly because of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
India has been positioning itself as a leader of emerging and developing nations, often referred to as the Global South, at a time when soaring food and energy prices as a result of the war are hammering consumers already grappling with rising costs and inflation.
The conflict in Ukraine was front and centre at the summit, causing “deep global divisions,” according to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He encouraged the foreign ministers to put their differences aside during their meetings, but it was not enough to deliver a joint statement.
Russia and China declined to sign the joint statement criticizing Moscow’s invasion, leaving India to issue a “chair’s summary and outcome document” acknowledging disagreements.
Analysts say that throughout the war, New Delhi has deftly balanced its ties to Russia and the West, with Modi emerging as a leader who has been courted by all sides. Still, as Putin’s aggression continues to throw the global economy into chaos, India has signalled an intention to raise the many concerns faced by the global South, including climate challenges and food and energy security.
However, experts say these issues could be sidelined by the tensions between the US, Russia, and China, which have increased recently over concerns from Washington that Beijing is considering sending lethal aid to the Kremlin’s struggling war effort.
India has “worked very hard not to be boxed into one side or the other,” according to Daniel Markey, senior adviser, South Asia, for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The country cannot “afford to alienate Russia or the US and Modi doesn’t want discussion of the war to force any difficult decisions or to distract from other issues, like green, sustainable economic development.”
In the end, the meeting was a disappointment for Modi, but not one that cannot be managed said Markey. “Nor would it be India’s fault, as it would primarily be a reflection of the underlying differences over which Modi has very little control.”
