27Prime Minister Narendra Modi will raise concerns about global oil price volatility and stress on the need to stick to a multilateral rule-based global trade system and highlight his government’s schemes for inclusive growth at the 13 G-20 Summit in Buenos Aires this weekend.

The Prime Minister will also hold a number of bilateral meetings with Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the leaders of the European Commission and the European Council, said Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale at a press briefing on Tuesday.

“Many of the bilateral meetings are still being worked on,” Gokhale said when asked if Modi would meet US President Donald Trump.

The G-20 meet, scheduled on November 30 and December 1, is divided into three sections — putting people first, building consensus and embracing opportunity.

Elaborating on the points that India expects to highlight at the G-20, the Foreign Secretary said it would stress that the leaders of the largest 20 economies need to reflect on both the price of oil and availability in the market.

“The risks posed by oil price volatility have directly affected the Indian economy and the lives of people. This is one important area on which the Prime Minister will speak,” he said.

Another topic that would be taken is that of digital revolution and in particular how it leads to new opportunities and new forms of employment. “This is a topic which fits in with the government’s schemes of Digital India and Skills India and is globally relevant,” Gokhale said.

Multilateral trading

The G-20 leaders are also expected to take up the issue of reforms in multilateral trading system, including the World Trade Organization. “The Indian government is of the view that we cannot replace a rule-based multilateral order with unilateral actions but we can certainly look at reform of the system in the light of the new situation,” the Foreign Secretary said.

The PM’s first session, where he will be the lead speaker, will also focus on future work with special emphasis on women’s empowerment. Modi will highlight flagship programmes his government has undertaken including the Jandhan Yojana, the Aadhar Scheme, GST, the start-ups and the Mudra Yojana as these promote financial inclusion, the Foreign Secretary added.

Modi will also make a pitch for making more countries joint the International Solar Alliance.