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Foreign Minister Baerbock is travelling to the G20 Meeting in New Delhi
The Foreign Ministers of the G20 countries are meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi, © Florian Gaertner/photothek.de
On 1 and 2 March, the Foreign Ministers of the G20 countries are meeting in New Delhi. Alongside pressing geopolitical challenges, the agenda also includes efforts to control the climate crisis, as well as global food and energy security.
This year is the first time India has assumed the Presidency of the G20. Thus the Foreign Ministers of the G20 countries are meeting in the Indian capital New Delhi on 1 and 2 March. The meeting will examine the key global challenges of our time, such as controlling climate change and the global hunger and debt crisis.
The talks will focus on, among other things, the global impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine which has exacerbated global food shortages and energy insecurity dramatically. Therefore, at the meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers, the aim is also to devise a clear position on the Russian war of aggression, just like at the G20 summit in Bali.
Foreign Minister Baerbock issued the following statement prior to her departure for New Delhi:
The G20 was created to give the world hope that our most pressing problems could be resolved. That is why I am travelling to Delhi to put forward Germany’s priorities: we are working on solutions to the debt crisis because far too many countries are at risk of collapsing under their huge debt burden. We are mobilising all our forces in the global fight against hunger, for example in East Africa where millions of people ask every day what they can feed their children. And we are working towards building a new international financial architecture because climate change is making natural disasters ever more severe and ever more expensive.
The G20: An important forum
The G20 countries bring together more than 80 percent of global GDP, some three-quarters of global trade and around two-thirds of the world’s population. Alongside the 19 largest industrialised countries and emerging economies, the EU also has a seat at the table.
Given its weight and strategic importance, the G20 plays a significant role when it comes to setting the direction for future geopolitical decisions and global economic issues. As a result, the G20 is an important forum for seeking multilateral solutions for pressing problems such as the global food crisis or the climate crisis without however papering over key foreign policy issues.
Prior to the G20 meeting, Foreign Minister Baerbock thus also underscored:
We have to focus all our energy on tackling these major global challenges. This includes countering Russia’s cynical game as it tries to drive a wedge into the international community. It is Russia’s missiles that are targeting innocent people in Ukraine and have also impacted on the food and energy security of many hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
India’s Presidency of the G20
With its motto “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, India is focusing its G20 Presidency on sustainable growth and prioritising climate and environmental questions. At the same time, India wants to give a stronger voice to states in the so-called global South and their concerns in G20 consultations. By assuming the G20 Presidency, India is showing its willingness to assume responsibility for tackling the most pressing challenges of our times.
