There was agreement, against all odds and against the clock, at the meeting of G-20 leaders in New Delhi. It is believed to be a more decaffeinated statement than the one a year ago in Bali, which disappointed Kyiv.
"Friends, I have just received good news", said the head of the Indian government, Narendra Modi, to his counterparts on Saturday afternoon, according to a video posted on the networks.
A few hours earlier, there were still many who suffered because the differences over the Russian invasion of Ukraine made it impossible to agree on a text.
The measured statement calls for "a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine" and urges member countries "not to attack the territorial integrity of other states", nor to resort to the threat of the use of force to obtain territorial gains.
The declaration also considers that "the use of nuclear weapons or the threat of using them is inadmissible".
The text proclaims that the signatory governments will join "the desire to fight the adverse impact of war on the global economy and will value all relevant and constructive initiatives that support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine to respect the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations for the promotion of peaceful and friendly neighborly relations between nations under the spirit of 'One Land, One Family, One Future'". The last is the motto of the summit in New Delhi.
On the other hand, food and energy security, as well as the fight against global warming, have again occupied a privileged place at the meeting. In this sense, to combat climate change, the declaration formulates the purpose of tripling the use of renewable energy by 2030.
Another important message from this summit is the entry of the African Union (AU) as a permanent member of the G-20, as the European Union has been since the beginning. The international organization based in Addis Ababa values that 54 African countries, in addition to South Africa, will be able, in this way, to appear in this global meeting.
This fact enhances India's image as a champion of developing countries. "Giving a voice to the Global South" has been precisely one of the slogans of the Indian rotating presidency of the G-20, since November.
This recognition of the African continent comes after dramatic changes in the game of influence. France, specifically, has not stopped losing ground from what was called Françafrique, with a series of coups d'état at increasingly short intervals, from Mali to Gabon, passing through Burkina Faso and Niger, which in the majority of cases result in a parallel increase in the Russian ascendant.
China has also been, for years, the first trading partner of almost all African nations. For this reason, it is not surprising that at the recent summit in Johannesburg of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) two new African partners were admitted, Ethiopia and Egypt. The unexpected opening of the doors of the G-20 to a new partner, the AU, must be read within this context.
Nor should we forget that the other "photo" of this summit that ends on Sunday is that of absences, which still give rise to all kinds of theories. The fact is that Xi Jinping has missed the appointment for the first time since he acceded to the summit of China in 2012. A diatribe by a Chinese media gives new clues about the disdain of Xi, who would have preferred to meet in Beijing with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro, and has sent his prime minister, Li Qiang, to New Delhi.
According to this media, Beijing would have been sorry that India organized G-20 sectoral sessions during the presidency in the disputed regions of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh (South Tibet, according to China), to legitimize its control . Yesterday Saturday, after an evening with some of India's best musicians, Modi sweetened with Kashmiri green tea the bitter reality that has suppressed the autonomy of Kashmir.
Less mystery surrounds the absence of Vladimir Putin, for which the International Criminal Court has been interested. Despite the fact that India does not recognize the jurisdiction of The Hague, neither do Russia or the United States.
If the invitation to the gala dinner was signed by "the president of Bharat", that is, of India, Modi appeared yesterday as the prime minister of the same entity with a Sanskrit name, rescued from the night of time.
Spain, which is not a member of the G-20, but is a permanent guest, was represented by Vice President Nadia Calviño - accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, J.M. Albares – replacing a Pedro Sánchez who tested positive for covid. Who has certainly passed the test is Modi, as he passed it in 2020 as host to his friend Donald Trump.
