PM Modi to inaugurate Voice of Global South Summit tomorrow

New Delhi, Jan 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the virtual Voice of Global South Summit on Thursday. He is set to address the conclave in the opening session which will be followed by brief speeches by leaders of the participating countries.

A number of leaders from developing countries are expected to flag their concerns, interests and priorities on a range of key issues and challenges at the two-day 'Voice of Global South Summit' being hosted by India in the virtual format from Thursday.

India is hosting the summit to bring together countries of the global South and provide them a common platform to share their common concerns relating to various global challenges including food and energy security triggered by the Ukraine conflict.

Leaders from a significant number of countries including Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, West Asia and South-East Asia are likely to attend the summit.

India is hosting the summit amid China's relentless efforts to expand its economic influence in Africa and Latin America.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said last week that more than 120 countries were being invited for the 'Voice of Global South' summit whose theme would be 'Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose'.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on January 6 that it is being hosted in line with Prime Minister Modi's statement that India's G20 Presidency will be shaped in consultation with not just its partner countries in the grouping, but also the fellow-travellers in the Global South.

The inaugural and concluding sessions of the summit would be at the level of head of state/government and hosted by Modi.

The theme of the inaugural leaders' session is "Voice of Global South - for Human-Centric Development" while the Leaders' concluding session will be on "Unity of Voice-Unity of Purpose".

The summit envisages ten sessions out of which four sessions would be held on Thursday while six sessions would take place on Friday. Each session is expected to witness the participation of leaders and ministers from 10-20 countries.

Kwatra said the 'Voice of Global South Summit' is India's endeavour to provide a common platform to deliberate on these concerns, interests and priorities that affect the developing countries.

"India will work to ensure that the valuable inputs generated from partner countries in the Voice of Global South Summit deliberations receive due cognisance globally," he said.

Kwatra said India's ongoing presidency of the G20 provides it a "special and strong" opportunity to channelise these inputs into the deliberation and discourse of the G20.

While assuming India's G20 Presidency, Modi had said that India's G20 priorities would be shaped in consultation with not just G20 partners, but also with fellow travellers in the Global South.

"This Summit will thus also be an opportunity for those countries that are not part of the G20 process, especially those countries that are not part of the G20 process to share their ideas and expectations through this mechanism with the G20," Kwatra said.