Top diplomats from the group of 20 could not ‘reconcile positions’ on Ukraine, and ‘there were divergences’ on issues related to conflict, says Indian minister
The Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi on Thursday failed to reach an agreement on the Russian-Ukraine conflict, according to India.
The G-20’s top diplomats were unable to “reconcile positions” on Ukraine, and “there were divergences” on conflict-related issues, said India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at a press conference following the two-day meeting’s conclusion.
He did, however, state that they had reached an agreement on a number of issues.
“There was significant agreement on a wide range of issues, including strengthening multilateralism, promoting food and energy security, climate change, gender issues, and counter-terrorism,” Jaishankar said.
A joint statement could not be issued at the end of the G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting. Rather, a “Chair’s Summary and Outcome Document” was created.
“Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, emphasizing that it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing global economic fragilities – constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity, and elevating financial stability risks,” the statement said.
“We are deeply anguished by the tragic loss of life and destruction across south-eastern Türkiye from the devastating earthquakes on 6 February 2023, and stand in solidarity with the Turkish people. “We also express our heartfelt condolences to the Syrian people, who have also been devastated by the devastating earthquakes,” it added.
The event came just days after the bloc’s finance chiefs met in Bengaluru, the capital of southern Karnataka state, which ended last week with Russia and China disagreeing over the Ukraine war.
The meeting, which began with a gala dinner on Wednesday evening, was India’s second since taking over the G-20 presidency on December 1st of last year.
According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, over 40 delegations attended the meeting, which was “one of the largest gatherings of foreign ministers hosted by any G-20 presidency,” including top diplomats from Turkey, Russia, China, and the United States.
The bloc is a strategic multilateral platform that connects the world’s major developed and emerging economies, which account for more than 80% of global GDP, 75% of global trade, and 60% of the global population.
