Evolving plans . Modi expected to meet Sunak on sidelines of G20 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to meet British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali this week although his plans of meeting other leaders are still “evolving”.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at Bali, ahead of the summit, amid growing tension between the two countries over economic, political and security issues.

Differing views over the response to Russia’s on-going war on Ukraine is likely to be another area of challenge for members at the G20 Summit, on November 15-16, and the Indian PM’s bilateral meetings could help reinforce the country’s position on the crucial matter. While India has condemned the on-going conflict in Ukraine, it has increased its crude purchase from Moscow which has been offered at a discount.

“PM Modi reached Bali on Monday evening for the G20 Summit. Most of his bilateral meetings are on Wednesday but the plans for Tuesday are still evolving,” a source tracking the matter told BusinessLine.

There are no confirmations yet from the MEA on Modi’s meeting with Sunak, but the British PM’s statement to the media on Monday, after reaching Bali, indicated that the meeting is likely. “... I’m looking forward to sitting down and building some strong relationships with other leaders like President Biden from America and the prime ministers of Japan, Australia and India,” Sunak said, adding that hopefully he would have a chance to talk to Jinping as well.

China-US relationship

The Biden-Xi talks are under the spotlight as it is the first time the two leaders have met in-person since Biden became the US President.

Xi at the opening of his meeting with Biden, said that the two leaders needed to chart the right course for the China-US relationship. There has been an escalation in tensions between the US and China over trade and investment issues and their clashing positions over Taiwan and the Ukraine war.

President of Indonesia Joko Widodo, will symbolically hand over  the G20 presidency to India at the end of the summit. India will assume presidency of G20 from December 1.

“During the Bali Summit, I will have extensive discussions with other G20 Leaders on key issues of global concern, such as reviving global growth, food & energy security, environment, health, and digital transformation. On the sidelines of the G20 Summit, I will meet with leaders of several other participating countries, and review the progress in India’s bilateral relations with them,” Modi said in his departure statement before leaving for Bali on Monday morning.

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