US President Joe Biden to visit India in Sept for G20 summit; agenda has climate crisis and Russia-Ukraine war

President of the United States of America Joe Biden will travel to India from September 7 to 10 to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The agenda for his discussions includes the Russia-Ukraine war and the climate change crisis that has literally set the world on fire.

While in New Delhi, President Joe Biden would reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic co-operation. Photo courtesy: Instagram/potus

Announcing the visit, the White House said yesterday that President Biden would also commend Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership of the G20.

The Summit, to be held in New Delhi on September 9-10, is expected to be one of the largest gatherings of world leaders in India. The country assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1, 2022, taking over from Indonesia.

“President Biden and G20 partners will discuss a range of joint efforts to tackle global issues, including on the clean energy transition and combating climate change, [and] mitigating the economic and social impacts of Putin’s war in Ukraine,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. “[Other discussion topics include] increasing the capacity of multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, to better fight poverty, including by addressing global challenges.”

While in New Delhi, President Biden would commend Prime Minister Modi’s leadership of the G20 and reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic co-operation, including by hosting it in 2026, added Jean-Pierre.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that Biden’s talks with leaders on the sidelines of the Summit would focus on climate change, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and other global challenges.

Biden will discuss in India how to utilise World Bank and other such institutions to fight poverty. Photo courtesy: Instagram/potus

The G20 or Group of 20 is an intergovernmental forum of the world’s major developed and developing economies. The members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade and about two-thirds of the world population.

In another development, US Vice-President Kamala Harris would travel to Indonesia from September 4 to 7 to attend the US-ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit and engage with leaders from the Indo-Pacific, said the White House press secretary.