Ahead of G20 Summit, US President Biden says “looking forward to India trip”

Delaware [US], September 4 (ANI): Voicing disappointment over his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping not attending the G20 summit in New Delhi, US President Joe Biden on Sunday said that he was looking forward to his trip to India this week.

President Biden will arrive in India next week to participate in the G20 Summit and will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8, on the sidelines of the summit, the White House recently announced.

To a question from a reporter if he was looking forward to his visits to India and Vietnam, Biden replied, “Yes, I am.” 

During the summit in the national capital on September 9 and 10, Biden will commend PM Modi for his leadership of the G20, the White House said earlier this week.

“The President will travel to New Delhi, India to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. On Friday, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the White House said in its week-ahead schedule of the President released on September 7.

Even as Washington seeks to repair relations with Beijing, President Biden, earlier on Monday, expressed disappointment over Chinese Premier Xi Jinping not attending the two-day G20 summit in India on September 9 and 10.

Asked specifically about Xi reportedly not planning to join the gathering in New Delhi, Biden told reporters, “I am disappointed, but I am going to get to see him”, without elaborating.

During his visit to India, Biden, along with fellow G20 partners, will discuss a range of joint efforts to tackle global issues, including the clean energy transition and combatting climate change, mitigating the economic and social impacts of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and increasing the capacity of multilateral development banks.

“On Saturday and Sunday, the President will participate in the G20 summit, where the President and G20 partners will discuss a range of joint efforts to tackle global issues, including the clean energy transition and combatting climate change, mitigating the economic and social impacts of Putin’s war in Ukraine, and increasing the capacity of multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, to better fight poverty, including by addressing global challenges,” White House said in a statement.

On August 29, White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said that US President Joe Biden will “reaffirm US commitment to the G20” as the premier forum of economic cooperation globally and will also speak about a range of issues, including the social effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the White House said on Tuesday. Karine Jean Pierre made the remarks during a media briefing.

Announcing the US President’s schedule, Pierre said Biden “will travel to Hanoi, Vietnam, on September 10 following his participation in the G20 Summit in New Delhi”.

To a question on topline goals that President Biden hopes to accomplish at G20, the White House press secretary said, “President Biden will reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation globally.”

She added that Biden will “discuss a range of joint efforts to tackle global issues, from the clean energy transition and combating climate change to mitigating the economic and social impacts of Russia’s war in Ukraine, to increasing the capacity of the multilateral development banks to better fight poverty and take on the significant transnational challenges that are afflicting countries across the world”.

India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1 last year. The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi will mark a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year.

A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.

The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries — Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom and the United States and the European Union.

The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.