Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hails G20 Summit in India as a resounding success, crediting the unified stance of Global South nations for averting the overshadowing of the summit’s agenda by the Ukraine conflict. Lavrov terms this achievement a “breakthrough summit” with far-reaching implications for global governance and finance fairness. He expresses gratitude to India for preventing any attempts to politicize the G20 gathering.
Addressing a press briefing, Lavrov lauds the Summit as a “milestone” and a “clear guiding star,” highlighting the unprecedented consolidation of G20 countries from the Global South under India’s presidency. He emphasizes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposal for a virtual G20 meeting in November will serve as a reality check on the implementation of current decisions.
Lavrov comments on the consensus reached over the New Delhi G20 Leaders’ Summit Declaration, noting Russia’s surprise at such a declaration and its reluctance to isolate the Russia-Ukraine section from the declaration’s broader content. He mentions the awakening of the Global South as a central theme of this year’s declaration.
The Russian foreign minister criticizes the West’s handling of the Ukraine issue, pointing out the lack of intelligent discussion and calls for Russia to halt aggression while highlighting the principle of equality in the UN charter.
Lavrov also touches on climate change and the West’s failure to fulfill its promise of providing USD 100 billion annually to developing nations for addressing the matter. He concludes by suggesting that new centers of power are emerging globally, challenging Western hegemony.
As the G20 Summit concludes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi passes the presidency to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio da Silva.
