India out manoeuvres G7 Countries, ensures a Joint Declaration at G20
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claps the table as he announces the consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration while attending “Session II: One Family” at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India, on Sept. 9, 2023
Japanese officials were caught off guard by the sudden announcement of the adoption of the leaders’ declaration at the G20 summit in India’s capital on Sept. 9, with one surprised negotiator saying that they were not even aware that there had been an consensus.
Many had concerns that the leaders of industrial and emerging market nations would not reach a consensus on the declaration, but at around 3:30 p.m. IST) on Sept. 9, the first day of the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that it had been adopted.
“I have recently received the good news that on the back of the hard work of all the teams, we have received consensus on the G20 Leaders Summit Declaration,” Modi announced at the outset of a meeting to discuss the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), health and other issues.
Around the same time at a hotel conference room in central New Delhi near the summit venue, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs was explaining the details of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s statements to reporters. When asked whether Modi’s announcement was correct, a Foreign Ministry official responded with a surprised expression, “I haven’t heard his remarks, so I don’t know. The least I can say is that until we came here it hadn’t been finalized.”
One negotiation official further remarked, “We haven’t heard at all that there has been a consensus on the leaders declaration. Before statements are sent out, I’d like them to inform us (as a G20 member).” The official then added, “I’m surprised. Like, stop fooling around.”
Often at G-20 summits and other events, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs releases a provisional Japanese translation of the leaders declaration at the same time it is announced. After the announcement in New Delhi, the ministry briefed reporters, but all that was distributed at the briefing was a list of points, suggesting it had just been slapped together.
