US wants to work with India after seeing ambition of Indian youth: State Dept official ahead of G20 Summit

New Delhi [India], September 8 (ANI): Ahead of the G20 Summit in India, the United States on Friday said that it is keen on working with India after seeing the ambition of the youth in the country.

US State Department Spokesperson Margaret MacLeod speaking to ANI said, “We will have discussions on several issues at the G20 Summit. India and the US share a partnership in several sectors including critical emerging technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Education, Student mobility and others. America wants to work with India after seeing the ambition of the youth in India.”

The official said that the US believes that India is raising its voice as an emerging economy through the G20 forum views of the whole world should be included.

“In fact, under India’s Presidency, there is talk of including African Union as a permanent member of the G20, which America supports,” MacLeod said.

The 18 th G20 Summit will take place in the national capital on September 9-10. A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the New Delhi Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.

The State Department Spokesperson Macleod said that a consensus on a G20 would be difficult but is not impossible and that the US will make efforts to get the agreement done. 

“Who will participate in the Summit is the decision of that individual country. We will try to work with the representatives of China and Russia during the G20 Summit. As our National Security Advisor said, consensus would be difficult (on Delhi declaration), but it is not impossible, we will try our best to get the agreement done.”

The 18th G20 Summit, under India’s presidency is being held amidst divisions among member countries on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. While China and Russia do not want, in the ‘Delhi Declaration’ proposed to be adopted by the G20 leaders on Sunday, a mention of the ongoing war, countries of the European Union and other Western nations are pressing for Moscow to be declared as an aggressor and are seeking an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.

At a press briefing on Thursday on board Air Force One, after President Joe Biden’s departure from Washington to India, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan while responding to a question on the G20 joint outcome statement said: “We have been working all day and all night for a joint statement. In that we bring a spirit of compromise to a lot of the different issues that are contentious so that we can find a text that everybody can live with.”

Sullivan said, there is “some distance to travel before a final joint statement is released.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are not participating in the G20 Summit. Chinese Premier Li Qiang will attend G20 Summit in India. The Russian delegation is being represented by by country’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. 

Margaret Macleod said that the specifics of the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have not been announced yet.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had said Biden and PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting.

He noted that the meeting will be an opportunity to follow up on PM Modi’s visit to the US and hold meaningful progress on several issues, including GE jet engine issue, the MQ-9 Reapers and 5G/6G. 

Speaking at a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, Sullivan said, “Tomorrow, the President will be meeting with Prime Minister Modi, and it will be an opportunity to follow up on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the United States. And we will see meaningful progress on a number of issues, including the GE jet engine issue, the MQ-9 Reapers, on 5G/6G, on collaboration on critical and emerging technologies, and progress also in the civil nuclear area as well.”

Biden departed from Andrew’s air base on Thursday for the 18th G20 Summit set to be held at the state-of-the-art Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. 

Before boarding the flight for India, Biden posted on his social media account X, “I’m headed to the G20 – the premier forum for international economic cooperation – focused on making progress on Americans’ priorities, delivering for developing nations, and showing our commitment to the G20 as a forum that can deliver.”