(This article forms a part of the View From India newsletter curated by The Hindu’s foreign affairs experts. To get the newsletter in your inbox every Monday, subscribe here.)
At the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, the world’s leading economies upheld India’s view that today’s era is not an era of war and expressed common concerns about the growing economic difficulties and insecurities caused by the war. Yet, there’s no consensus among the countries who should be condemned for the war. A joint declaration read, “Most members strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and stressed it is causing immense human suffering and exacerbating existing fragilities in the global economy - constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting supply chains, heightening energy and food security and elevating financial stability risks,” without naming Russia. The joint statement’s reference to the phrase “today’s era must not be of war” indicates that the collective has incorporated the argument that Prime Minister Narendra Modi first mentioned in his discussion on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation’s September meeting at Samarkand in Uzbekistan, writes Kallol Bhattacherjee in this report.
The summit also marked India taking over the G20 presidency from Indonesia. India’s G20 presidency will be “inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented”, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mr. Modi, who also held meetings separately with the leaders of Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore and the U.K., thanked Indonesian leader Joko Widodo at the event, and said that the world was looking to India’s leadership of the forum of the largest economies with “hope”. “New Delhi will have to bring on board all countries with its vision for the forum’s future — steering the world’s economic leadership through this difficult phase, and preparing for future perils including climate change and global warming, food and energy shortages, terrorism and conflict, and bridging the digital divide,” The Hindu writes in this edit.
U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in Bali, Indonesia | Photo Credit: Reuters
The G20 summit also saw the first meeting between presidential level meeting between Jo Biden and Xi Jinping. As tensions between the U.S. and China, the world’s largest economies, were rising, both leaders sought to “responsibly manage competition”. Both agreed to resume engagement on issues such as climate change and to work together on maintaining global economic stability. Both leaders, however, struck clearly different positions on many of the issues currently straining ties, from trade and Taiwan to human rights and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A missile scare
Men carry the coffin during the funeral of one of two victims of a missile that hit a southeastern Polish village near the border with Ukraine, in Przewodow on November 19, 2022. | Photo Credit: AFP
As world leaders were discussing the future course of the global economy in Bali, a missile that hit Poland, a NATO member and a neighbour of Ukraine, triggered fears of a wider war between Russia and NATO, both nuclear powers. Immediately after the missile hit Poland in which two people were killed, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed it on Russia, calling it an attack on the West’s collective security and demanding retaliation. But President Biden quickly eased concerns, saying the missile unlikely to have come from Russia. Later, Polish and NATO investigations found that the missile was a Ukrainian S300, probably launched against an incoming Russian attack. While the cautious response from NATO averted a tragedy, the incident highlighted the risks of a spillover war between Russia and Ukraine. A misfire could turn the nightmare into reality. All stakeholders, primarily Russia which started the war, have the responsibility to put in place the guardrails against escalation, The Hindu writes in this editorial.
Sri Lanka watch
Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Sri Lanka will adopt policies geared towards a “social market economy”, to achieve high growth, increased export revenue and Foreign Direct Investment, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Monday, presenting his first annual Budget since assuming charge in July. The President said negotiations with the IMF was progressing and that the country was also in talks with India and China on debt restructuring. The World Bank has estimated that the country’s economy will contract by 9.2% this year, and by a further 4.2 % in 2023. It has also pointed to urban poverty tripling since 2021. A recent survey by the World Food Programme found a third of Sri Lankan households to be food insecure, and 68% of the country’s population resorting to food-coping strategies.
Separately, Mr. Wickremesinghe had reached out to the country’s Tamil parties, pledging to resolve their pending issues before the island nation’s 75th Independence Day (February 4, 2023). The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the largest grouping of legislators from the north and east, welcomed his call and expressed readiness to “fully cooperate”. The southern leadership must be prepared to do away with the unitary constitution, former Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran has said.
Top 5
- In Iran protests, the long fight for freedom: The growing protests are a fight for human dignity and individual rights, centering on the recognition of women as the primary victims of the regime’s male-dominated tradition and strict ideology, write Arpita Basu-Roy, Krishnan Srinivasan.
- A call to action to avoid climate catastrophe: The Hindu has published this editorial along with The Guardian and several other media outlets across the globe as an urgent call to action on climate change.
- Baghdad gets a government but violnce haunts: At the heart of the country’s political malaise is the muhasasa or apportionment system, bequeathed to the country during the occupation of the United States, writes Talmiz Ahmad.
- Making Sense of the midterm polls: What were the issues that helped Democrats retain the Senate and Republicans take back the House in U.S. midterms? Explain Narayan Lakshman.
- Itamar Ben-Gvir | The rabble-rouser: The ultra-orthodox rightwing politician, who was once convicted for incitement of racism, has emerged as a critical partner of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.
