‘Today’s era must not be of war’: G20 members declare
BALI: The G20 Bali Declaration emphasised on the futility of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in the current times — echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the SCO summit about two months back — even as world leaders on Wednesday collectively acknowledged differences among members on the war but stressed that it was essential to adhere to international law, including protection of civilians caught in conflicts.
This came at the end of the two-day G20 summit hosted by Indonesia in Bali, as the “G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration” also reflected the contentious debate that went into drafting it.
The members of the grouping made it clear that they were against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons and sought “peaceful resolution” of conflicts.
“Today’s era must not be of war,” the declaration said, what PM Modi told Russian President Vladimir Putin during their bilateral meeting on the margins of the SCO summit in September.
The declaration also acknowledged the vital importance of strengthening safe international mobility and connectivity and seamless post-Covid travel to enable the recovery of the tourism sector. It noted that the global tourism industry was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly due to the travel restriction.
India’s foreign ministry said that the Indian delegation, guided by Prime Minister Modi,
played a key role in bringing about a “consensus”. India on Wednesday took over the presidency of the summit for a year with Modi promising an “inclusive” and “ambitious” agenda for the group that includes the world’s major economies. Reflecting the divisions among its members, the declaration said the member nations “reiterated our national positions” as expressed at the UN Security Council.
“Most” members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine, it said but noted that there were “other views” and assessments of the situation. Russian President Putin had opted out of the Summit and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who represented him, left a day before the declaration was released. Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24. The Russian action has been widely condemned by the US-led West.
At one session, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky virtually addressed the leaders, seeking an end to the “destructive war” but in a just manner. He pointedly called the gathering the “G19”.
The G20 comprises 19 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the USA and the European Union (EU).
The G20 declaration also acknowledged the importance of establishing a global framework for safe and seamless travel to support the tourism sector’s continued recovery and make travel more resilient to future threats. “We reaffirm the important role of tourism for global recovery, and the community-based approach for rebuilding a more human-centred, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient tourism sector,” it said.