G20 Summit 2023 | Which leaders are attending? What is their agenda?

The final event in India’s year of G20 Presidency is the New Delhi Summit scheduled to be held on September 9-10 at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam (ITPO) complex — a culmination of all G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the group comprising of leaders of eighteen countries will adopt the Leaders’ Declaration stating their commitment to the priorities agreed upon in the ministerial and working group meetings.

In a show of diplomatic power, India has invited nine other state leaders apart from the G20 member states. These include Asian leaders like Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh), Pravind Kumar Jugnauth (Mauritius), Sultan Haitham bin Tarik (Oman), Lee Hsein Loong (Singapore), Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (United Arab Emirates), European leaders like Pedro Sanchez (Spain), Mark Rutte (Netherlands) and African leaders like Abdul Fatah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi (Egypt) and Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Nigeria).

New organisational invitees include heads of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Asian Development Bank (ADB). These guest organisations are in addition to the regular ones: United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World bank (WB), World Health Organisation (WHO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Financial Stability Board (FSB) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Heads of regional organisations like African Union (AU), African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) have also been invited.

 Which leaders will be in attendance? What is their agenda?

United States: Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden arrived on Friday in New Delhi and will immediately hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi at his residence (7 Lok Kalyan Marg). The focus of the bilateral talk will likely be progress on the joint manufacture of jet engines, civil nuclear liability and trade agreements, and cooperation on global issues like climate change, technology, and clean energy. The leaders are also likely to discuss India-China relations, the situation along Line of Actual Control (LAC), and India’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum’s ‘Trade’ pillar. Moreover, as announced, Mr. Modi plans to host the next QUAD summit in India in 2024 and will discuss the same with Mr. Biden.

During the summit on September 9-10, Mr. Biden will focus on tackling climate change, reshaping multilateral development banks like World Bank and IMF, social and economic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, welcoming the African Union, commending Mr. Modi’s G20 leadership and affirming faith in the group by hosting the forum in 2026. Consensus on a G20 statement on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is difficult, but India remains hopeful of a joint declaration.

United Kingdom: Rishi Sunak

Touted as India’s ‘son-in-law,’ British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will attend his second G20 summit hoping for a warm welcome. Mr. Sunak enjoys star status in India as the son-in-law of Infosys founder Narayan Murthy and as a practising Hindu Prime Minister – a first for the UK. Hoping for concessions due to his Indian connection, Mr. Sunak will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on September 9 and press for an Indo-UK trade deal and a toughening of New Delhi’s stance against Russia.

France: Emmanuel Macron

Arriving on September 9, French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to squeeze in a working lunch with Mr. Modi after the G20 summit on Sunday. Apart from India, Mr. Macron will also be holding bilateral talks with Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indonesia President Joko Widodo and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman, before he leaves for Bangladesh on Sunday afternoon.

Japan: Fumio Kishida

After attending the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia along with Mr. Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Fumio Kishida is scheduled to attend the G20 summit. He will also attend a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on September 9 in which likely topics of discussion includes China, India hosting the next QUAD meeting in 2024 and trade.

Japanese experts say that Mr. Kishida will back India and not China at the G20 summit as a key bridge between the West and the global south. Keeping India’s strategic role in mind in the South China Sea tussle, Mr. Kishida had previously invited Mr. Modi to the May meeting of the G-7 countries in Hiroshima.

Germany: Olaf Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be attending the summit as he believes that the G20 has an obligation to fulfil inspite of China and Russia’s absence amid the growing influence of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Mr. Scholz is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on September 9 to discuss regional developments and global challenges. At the summit, Mr. Scholz will reiterate the need for countries with a colonial history to help former colonies develop as he believes in ‘fair partnership’.

Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina

Attending the G20 summit on India’s special invitation, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be one of the first global leaders to hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on September 8. On arrival, she along with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were received by Union minister Darshana Jardosh and will later meet Mr. Modi at his residence (7 Lok Kalyan Marg). In the meeting three memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) on cooperation in the agriculture research, cultural exchange and financial transactions between the two countries will be signed.

At the summit, she will speak on climate change, economic recovery after Covid-19, war in Europe and its impact on global supply apart from Bangladesh’s good performance in many socio-economic categories. Apart from Mr. Modi, the Bangladeshi PM is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Mauritius: Pravind Kumar Jugnauth

Another special invitee, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth arrived on Thursday night and was received by Union Minister Shripad Naik. After meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, Mr, Jugnauth is also scheduled to meet Mr. Modi at his residence for a bilateral meeting to review the two nation’s ties and developmental cooperation. Incidentally 70% of citizens of Mauritius are Indian-origin which has led to deep ties between the two countries.

Italy: Giorgio Meloni

Arriving for her second G20 summit, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was received by Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje. Ms. Meloni had recently visited India in March to attend the eight edition of the Raisina Dialogue and held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi. She is scheduled to meet Mr. Modi for a bilateral meeting tomorrow in which the Russia-Ukraine war, trade, digital transition, space, and cybersecurity are likely to be discussed.

Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Gearing up to take over the G20 presidency from Mr. Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will arrive in New Delhi to attend the summit. A strong proponent for expanding the BRICS coalition and establish a common bloc currency, Mr. Lula hopes to reduce developing nations’ dependency on the US dollar. With 41 nations expressing interest in joining BRICS, the bloc is likely to crop up in bilateral meeting scheduled between Mr. Lula and Mr. Modi on September 10.

Turkiye: Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the summit during the weekend and is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines with several leaders including Mr. Modi on Sunday. Mr. Erdogan, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi earlier this week, will attempt to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative which allows grain export from blockaded Ukrainian ports. This initiative which was launched by the United Nations in 2022, supported by India, will provide a major relief to the current global food security crisis.

UAE: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Visiting India for the first time since being appointed as UAE’s President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) will attend the summit and hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on Sunday. Recently, India has supported UAE’s application to join the BRICS and has signed a  comprehensive economic partnership agreement. The two nations have also signed the Rupee-Dirham deal to promote usage of local currencies for cross-border transactions and recently conclude a Rupee-Dirham oil transaction between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Indian Oil Corporation. With multiple investments in Indian projects, MBZ and Mr. Modi are likely to discuss key trade deals, projects in the meeting.

South Korea: Yoon Suk Yeol

Accompanied by eleven companies, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the summit and hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on Sunday. The companies are eyeing joint ventures in Indian defence sector in artillery, radar and satellite communication, military power systems and aerial and naval platform sub-system supplies. The companies are keen to sign MoUs with Indian defence manufacturing companies for joint-ventures, technology transfer and trade.

At the summit, Mr. Yoon will urge participating nations to enforce U.N sanctions on North Korea for its ever-escalating missile provocations and nuclear threats. He will emphasize the need to deter North Korea from stealing cryptocurrency, dispatching workers overseas and other illegal activities to cut off its main funding for its weapons program.

Canada: Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend the G20 summit and may have a quick pull-aside meeting with Mr. Modi on Sunday. India-Canada relations have recently been strained in recent times since Ottawa expressing concerns for the farmers’ protest against the Modi government. Moreover, with growing support for the Khalistan referendum in Canada, the Trudeau government has been careful to not upset the major Sikh diaspora in Canada which have been voicing out violation of human rights of religious minorities in India. Recently, Canada hit pause on a trade deal with India over unclear reasons.

Saudi Arabia: Mohammad bin Salman

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be attending the summit over the weekend followed by a one-day state visit. During his visit, he will hold bilateral talks with Mr. Modi on the nations ties in various sectors like energy, defence, trade and investment.

Netherlands: Mark Rutte

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte accompanied by his Finance minister Sigrid Kaag will attend the summit over the weekend and then travel to Bengaluru on Monday on an economic mission. In Bengaluru, Mr. Rutte will hold discussions with representatives of over sixty Indian companies engaged in business with his nation, visit an innovation lab of NXO and attend a roundtable discussion with Dutch companies operating in Karnataka.

Nigeria: Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Arriving three days ahead of the G20 summit on September 6, Nigerian President Tinubu met with Hinduja Group chairman Mr. Gopichand Hinduja to drum up investments into his nation. He is also scheduled to address the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference, to attract global capital into Nigeria from the attending CEOs, senior government officials. Highlighting his Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr. Tinubu will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on September 10 to strengthen economic, trade, and investment partnerships.

In the summit, Mr. Tinubu will share Nigeria’s perspective on the G20 theme “One Earth-One Family-One Future”, while weighing the pros and cons of his nation’s application to be a permanent member of the group. Mr. Tinubu’s retinue comprises of his ministers Yusuf Tuggar (External affairs), Wale Edun (Finance and Economy), Dr. Bosun Tijani (Communication), Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite (Trade).

Argentina: Alberto Fernandez

Argentian President Alberto Fernandez will be in attendance at the Summit accompanied by Foreign minster Santiago Cafiero, secretary Julio Vitobello, spokesperson Gabriela Cerruti and the Argentian Sherpa Jorge Argüello. According to local news channel C5N, Mr. Fernandez is expected to raise the issue of global financial architecture in his speech and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Bangladesh (Sheikh Hasina), South Korea (Yoon Suk Yeol) and UAE (Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan). A bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi is yet to be confirmed.

Comoros: Azali Assoumani

Comoros President Azali Assoumani has arrived in Delhi to attend the summit and will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on Sunday. As the chairperson of the 55-nation African Union (AU), Mr. Assoumani will also discuss the membership of the bloc to the G20 in the summit. Sources at the Sherpa meeting stated that the African Union is set to join the bloc, leaving a lasting imprint of India’s work during its Presidency. It is unclear if the G-20 will be renamed as G-21 with the inclusion of AU.

Australia: Anthony Albanese

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the G20 summit as part of his three-nation tour – India, Indonesia and Philippines. As India hopes to have the QUAD nations’ leaders as its Republic Day chief guests in January 2024, Mr. Modi may discuss the same Mr. Albanese. Sources say that Mr. Albanese’s presence in particular will be tough as January 26 is observed as Australia Day.

During the G20 event on September 9-10, Mr. Albanese will reiterate Australia’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific for growth and prosperity, stability and respect for sovereignty and lasting peace.

Other attendees include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, European Council President Charles Michel, European Union president Ursula von der Leyen, Indonesian president Joko Widodo, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Which leaders are skipping the event?

China: Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping will skip the event and will be represented by Premier Li Qiang. Mr. Xi has already skipped the recently concluded ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia summits. India has dismissed Mr. Xi’s absence as non-consequential.

Mexico: Andrés Manuel López Obrador

Since 2019, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has skipped G20 summits in a bid to avoid trade war confrontation. He will be represented by Finance Minister Carlos Urzua and Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

Spain: Pedro Sanchez

Spain’s caretaker prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, will miss the G20 summit after testing positive for COVID-19. He will be represented by economy Minister Nadia Calvino and Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.

Russia: Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin will skip the event as he is currently still focusing on the “special military operation” in Ukraine. He had skipped the summit in Bali in November 2022 citing the same reasons. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is leading the Russian delegation in his stead.