India played an “essential role” in negotiating the G20 summit leaders’ declaration in Bali, and Washington fully supports India’s presidency of the grouping over the next year, the United States said.
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre responded to a question on President Joe Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi by mentioning Biden’s trilateral meeting with Modi and the president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo.
She then said,“India played an essential role in negotiating the summit’s declaration. Prime Minister Modi made clear ‘today’s era must not be of war’ and that’s a direct quote from the Prime Minister.”
The direct message that Prime Minister Modi sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin in September in Samarkand became the point of agreement at the G20 summit in Bali against the backdrop of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine and the ensuing geopolitical tension.
The declaration read, “The peaceful resolution of conflicts, efforts to address crises, as well as diplomacy and dialogue, are vital. Today’s era must not be of war.”
The White House press secretary added that the summit had provided a path forward to food and energy security — concerns that India has consistently flagged since the onset of the war.
“We look forward to supporting India’s G20’s presidency next year and look forward to the next meeting,” said Karin Jean-Pierre. India takes over as the G20 chair on December 1 and will host the next leaders summit in September 2023.