G20 declaration consensus marks historic milestone: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, Sep 10 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India’s G20 presidency has left an “indelible mark” on the world stage, and the consensus reached on the declaration marks a historic milestone in bridging the global trust deficit.

He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, and said he successfully demonstrated “Bharat’s prowess as both a Vishwa Guru and Vishwa Bandhu”.

“The historic G20 Summit in New Delhi has successfully concluded. India’s Presidency under the visionary leadership of PM Narendra Modi has left an indelible mark on the world stage,” Singh said in a post on X.

“The consensus reached during the G20 Summit in New Delhi marks a historic milestone in bridging the global trust deficit and cultivating global trust and confidence,” he said.

The defence minister said the G20 Declaration, encompassing a consensus statement on the Ukraine war and other actionable tasks, demonstrates India’s remarkable ability to bring the nations closer and transcend their differences for a common objective.

“The G20 India has launched the ‘India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor’, enhancing India’s strategic involvement with the Arabian Peninsula and Europe. This initiative presents a unique opportunity for India to establish long-lasting connectivity between India and Arabia,” he said.

He also said the African Union getting permanent membership of the Group is “fostering inclusivity and deepening cooperation with Africa”.

“The admission of the African Union into the G20 is a significant achievement for PM Modi’s ‘Global South’ initiative. PM Narendra Modi has successfully demonstrated Bharat’s prowess as both a ‘Vishwa Guru’ and ‘Vishwa Bandhu’,” he said.

“His inclusive and people-centric approach has truly defined Bharat’s G20 Presidency. I congratulate PM Modi for his exemplary leadership and vision,” the defence minister added.

Meanwhile, BJP National President J P Nadda congratulated the prime minister for the “colossal success” of India’s G20 presidency and said India has emerged as the voice of Global South in his leadership.

“I congratulate PM Narendra Modi for the colossal success of India’s G20 presidency. Under PM Modi’s leadership, India has emerged as a voice for the Global South and has shown that even in these times of major geopolitical divide, nations can cooperate for a better future for the planet and its people,” Nadda said in a post on X.

“The adoption of the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration at the summit has been particularly pathbreaking as it brought major world powers to a consensus on pertinent issues of geopolitics and climate,” he said.

“Our G20 success is a watershed in India’s diplomacy and has ushered in a sense of pride in the hearts of every Indian. It is also a testament to the timeless quality of our cultural values, which teach us that we are indeed One Earth, One Family, with One Future,” he added.

The G20 Summit began at the Bharat Mandapam on Saturday and will conclude on Sunday.

Top world leaders, including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Brazil President Luiz In cio Lula da Silva, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and several others, gathered here for the summit.

On the first day of the summit on Saturday, Modi announced the G20 leaders’ declaration was adopted with consensus, throwing a major surprise as both the Russia-China combine and the West had indicated that they would not budge from their respective positions on the Ukraine conflict.