'Swasti Astu Vishwa': PM Modi Calls For Peace In Closing G20 Speech Amid Ukraine War

Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded the G20 Summit on Sunday by offering a prayer for peace, "Swasti Astu Vishwa," as he passed on the G20 presidency gavel to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. This slogan, roughly translating to "may there be peace in the world," was a significant element of the New Delhi Leaders' Summit Declaration, which had been adopted on the previous day and was seen as a notable achievement of the G20 Summit.

Despite disagreements among G20 negotiators on the Ukraine issue, the G20 leaders managed to come together and unanimously adopt the Delhi Declaration. This declaration emphasized the importance of avoiding war in today's world.

In his closing remarks, Prime Minister Modi declared the end of the G20 Summit and expressed hope for a joyful future based on the principles of "One Earth, One Family, and One Future."

Prime Minister Modi, recognising India's responsibility as the G20 presidency holder until November 2023, proposed a virtual session to review the proposals and suggestions put forth during the Summit. He urged all participants to connect during this virtual session in November.

Brazil's Assumption of G20 Presidency:

Prime Minister Modi congratulated Brazilian President Lula on Brazil's upcoming presidency of the G20 in 2024. President Lula, after assuming the G20 presidency, commended Prime Minister Modi for his efficient leadership during the Summit and emphasized the importance of global equality.

Lula highlighted the need to address various forms of inequality, including income, access to healthcare, education, food, gender, race, and representation. He advocated for the inclusion of new developing countries as permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council to enhance its political strength.

Symbolic Ceremony and 'One Future' Session:

In a symbolic ceremony, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, representing the previous and next G20 presidencies respectively, presented saplings to the current G20 chairperson. This ceremony took place at the beginning of the 'One Future' session of the G20 Summit.

During the 'One Future' session, Prime Minister Modi called for reforms in global organizations like the United Nations to better reflect the new realities of the world. He emphasized the need for immediate and effective decisions regarding the expansion of the mandates of multilateral development banks.

Throughout the summit, various activities, including paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and a tree-planting ceremony at the G20 venue (Bharat Mandapam), were carried out by the G20 leaders and delegation heads.

On the first day of the historic G20 Summit, India achieved a significant diplomatic success by obtaining a consensus declaration, despite major differences regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Prime Minister Modi also announced the admission of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20. India, as the G20 presidency holder, emphasized the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' for this year's summit.