G-20, a selfie moment & tales of two Prime Ministers

From the editor’s desk

Prime Minister Anthony

Albanese was in New Delhi on September 8 for the crucial G-20 leaders’ summit. He was visiting New Delhi again, after his previous successful visit to India earlier in March, which was followed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to Australia in May, this year. The relations between Australia and India have strengthened after the signing and implementation of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA). Australia and India are members of QUAD, along with Japan and the US. With both Australia and India being members of G-20, along with other member countries, the mutual understanding and cooperation which both countries have shown in their relations in multilateral forums, have revealed how close both countries have come in present times.

Though many Western countries have hailed the recentlyconcluded G-20 summit in New Delhi as successful, they have later gone on to express their displeasure at what they expected of it, related to the strong-worded consensual statement on Ukraine-Russia war condemning Russia, and what was not done and ought to have been done. Most of the countries from the West would have wanted a strong statement emanating from the Delhi declaration denouncing Russia for its relentless war against Ukraine. Australia would also have supported such a statement. But India was one of the countries that resisted attempts to harshly criticize Russia, and therefore was instrumental in toning down the statement related to the Ukraine war as a general statement that denounces war, without specifically targeting Russia for its deeds in Ukraine. However, Prime Minister Albanese realized India’s compulsions and did not put pressure on India to issue statements sharply criticizing Russia for its war against Ukraine. In fact, the Prime Minister has termed the G-20 summit hosted by Indian Prime Minister Modi as “successful”.

According to media reports, Prime Minister Albanese stated that the New Delhi summit was followed by a good bilateral discussion between the two leaders. In a post on X (earlier Twitter), the Prime Minister wrote about his discussions with Indian Prime Minister Modi about concluding the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between Australia and India. This is how geopolitics is done these days. There is an atmosphere of mutual trust, understanding, cooperation and commitment, which goes beyond the confines of official positions they hold. It reaches to a level where leaders begin to understand each other’s personality, and thereby bank on each other for accomplishing tasks which still need to be accomplished. Protocols serve their purpose, but world leaders are known to go beyond protocols in meeting each other and conduct discussions irrespective of the constraints imposed on them by the established protocols.

Prime Minister Albanese acknowledges the importance of Australia and India relations. He said during his recent India visit that Australia’s relationship with India is worth investing in. He understands the value of a strong partnership with India, which he rightly says, will deliver benefits for Australia in trade, investment and business and in regional security and stability. This kind of relationship augurs well for international peace, stability and an order based on mutual respect and cooperation. Albanese also underscored the value Australia gives to India, highlighting that Australia is a better place because of the contributions of the IndianAustralian community. He expressed his desire to see more connections between the two nations.

Though Ukraine-Russia war, multilateral trade agreements and China’s rising power were the major issues on the G-20 agenda, in the absence of both Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping, there was ample room for countries to engage in bilateral talks, as G-20 offered the opportunity to meet leaders of many countries. Therefore, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was also keen on meeting with European leaders in a bid to strike a free trade deal with them, which will promise more jobs and cheaper products for Australians.

Now that the G-20 summit has concluded, the Prime Minister will have a busy time back home in the Parliament, and a month of campaigning before a vote on the Voice to Parliament on October 14. His Indian counterpart Narendra Modi will also be very busy; first he has to take on the country’s opposition in the special session of the Indian parliament, where his government will try to pass at least four bills. Once the session is over, the Indian Prime Minister and his party and alliance partners will start gearing up for the 2024 general elections.