New Delhi
CNN
—
Foreign ministers from the world’s largest economies convened in New Delhi, setting the stage for a major test in Indian diplomacy as it tries to navigate tensions over Russia’s brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
During the second high-level ministerial meeting chaired by India’s Group of 20 (G20) this year, the country’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, will meet his US, Chinese and Russian counterparts on Wednesday. Five, hoping to find enough common ground to make a joint statement. at the end of the summit.
The world’s largest democracy, with a population of more than 1.3 billion, has been keen to position itself as a leaders of emerging and developing countries – often referred to as Global South – at a time when food and energy prices have skyrocketed due to war, which is hurting consumers already struggling with rising costs and inflation.
Those sentiments were at the heart of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s opening remarks on Thursday, as he spoke of the many crises facing the world, with less affluent nations affected. heavy.
“The experience of the past few years, financial crises, climate change, pandemics, terrorism and wars has clearly shown that global governance has failed,” Modi said.
“We must also acknowledge that the tragic consequences of this failure are most faced by developing countries,” who he said are most affected by global warming “due to caused by richer countries”.
Dodging the war in Ukraine, Mr. Modi acknowledged the conflict was causing “deep global division”. However, he encouraged foreign ministers to put their differences aside during Thursday’s meeting.
“We shouldn’t allow problems we can’t solve together to get in the way of problems we can do,” he said.
But analysts say India’s push to push the agenda has been complicated by persistent divisions over the war.
Those differences played out in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru last month, when G20 finance chiefs disagreed on a statement after their meeting. Both Russia and China refused to sign a joint statement criticizing Moscow’s invasion. That prompted India to produce a “chairman summary and results” in which it summed up two days of negotiations and acknowledged disagreements.
Analysts say that throughout the war, New Delhi has skillfully balanced its relations with Russia and the West, with Mr. Modi emerging as a leader endorsed by all sides.
But as the war enters its second year and tensions continue to mount, pressure could pile on countries, including India, to take a firmer stance against Russia – bringing the ability to manage Mr. Modi’s state to the test.
Arguably India’s most famous event of the year, the G20 summit has been heavily promoted in the country, with sprawling billboards featuring Mr. Modi’s face plastered across the country. The roads were cleaned and the buildings freshly painted before the dignitaries’ visit.
Taking place in the “mother of democracies” under Modi’s leadership, his political allies are keen to boost his international credibility, portraying him as a key figure in the global order. bridge.
Last year’s G20 leaders summit in Bali, Indonesia, issued a joint statement echoing what Mr. Modi had said to Russian President Vladimir Putin a few weeks earlier on the sidelines of a regional summit in Uzbekistan.
“There must be no war in this day and age,” it said, causing the media and officials in India to claim that India has played an important role in bridging the gap between an isolated Russia and the United States and its allies.
Analysts say that India prides itself on its ability to balance its relations. The country, like China, has refused to condemn Moscow’s brutal attack on Ukraine in various UN resolutions. Instead of severing economic ties with the Kremlin, India has weakened Western sanctions by increasing purchases of Russian oil, coal and fertilizer.
But unlike China, India has drawn closer to the West – especially the US – despite its relationship with Russia.
New Delhi’s relationship with Moscow dates back to the Cold War and the country remains heavily dependent on the Kremlin for military equipment – an important link given the ongoing tensions between India and China on the border. common in the Himalayas.
The United States and India have in recent months taken steps to strengthen their defense partnership as they work to counter the rise of an increasingly assertive China.
Daniel Markey, senior adviser, South Asia, for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), said that while Indian leaders “want to create conditions for an end to this conflict in order to maintain the relationship between India and India.” New Delhi with both Washington and Moscow and end the disruption of the global economy,” said India, without having “any concrete leverage” with Russia or Ukraine to reach a solution.
“I believe other world leaders are also interested in playing the role of peacemaking diplomacy. So when and if Putin wants to come to the negotiating table, he will have no shortage of diplomats hoping to help,” he said.
However, as Putin’s belligerence continues to plunge the global economy into chaos, India has signaled its intention to address the many concerns facing the Southern Hemisphere, including climate challenges. , food and energy security, according to Mr. Modi’s opening speech.
“The world looks to the G20 to ease the challenges of growth, development, economic recovery, disaster recovery, financial stability, transnational crime, corruption, terrorism, and wage security. realism and energy,” Modi said.
While Mr. Modi’s government appears keen to prioritize domestic challenges, experts say these issues could be pushed aside due to the recent rise in tensions between the US, Russia and China due to Washington. fears that Beijing is considering sending lethal aid to the Kremlin’s struggling war effort.
Speaking to reporters last week, Ramin Toloui, US assistant secretary of state for economic and business affairs, said while Secretary of State Antony Blinken would highlight efforts to address wage security issues. food and energy, he will also “emphasize the damage caused by the Russian war. the invasion caused.”
Blinken will “encourage all G20 partners to redouble their calls for a just, peaceful and lasting end to the Kremlin’s war in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter.” ,” Toloui said.
At the same time, Russia in a declare On Wednesday accused the United States and the European Union of “terrorists”, saying it was “set up to articulate Russia’s assessments” of the current food and energy crisis.
“We will draw attention to the destructive barriers that the West is multiplying exponentially to prevent the export of goods of particular importance to the global economy, including including energy resources and agricultural products,” Russia said, alluding to difficulties New Delhi may face during the meeting.
“India has been working very hard not to be cornered to one side or the other,” Markey said. He added: “The country cannot “distract Russia or the US and Mr. Modi does not want to discuss war to force any difficult decisions or distract from other issues, such as development green and sustainable economic development”.
But with relations between Washington and Beijing in serious disrepair after the US military shot down what it said was a Chinese spy balloon over US territory, New Delhi will have to be careful to push ahead with meetings. Difficult negotiation between opposing points of view.
China insists the balloon shot down by US forces in February was a civilian research plane that was accidentally blown out of course and that fallout caused Blinken to postpone a planned visit to Beijing. plan.
As differences are likely to unfold during Thursday’s ministerial meeting, analysts said India could view even limited progress as a win.
“Any joint statement can be portrayed in the Indian media as a diplomatic achievement,” Markey said. “But its broader implications will be limited.”
