New Delhi | Marking the ceremonial transfer of the G20 presidency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday handed over the gavel to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva who hailed India for giving voice to topics of interests of emerging economies.
At the concluding session, Modi handed over the gavel and offered best wishes to Brazil for the presidency. Brazil officially will take over the mantle of the presidency of the elite grouping on December 1 this year.
Speaking on the occasion, Lula da Silva congratulated Modi and thanked India for its efforts to give voice to the topics of interest to emerging economies.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for expansion of the UN Security Council and reforms in all global institutions, asserting that they should reflect the world's "new realities" as it is nature's law that those who don't change with times, lose relevance.
As curtains came down on the G20 Summit, Modi also proposed a virtual session of the bloc around the end of November to take stock of the suggestions and decisions made at the leaders' summit.
At the concluding session, Modi handed over the gavel and offered best wishes to Brazil for the next presidency. Brazil will officially take over the mantle of the presidency of the elite grouping on December 1 this year.
G20 leaders, including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi
Sunak and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial Rajghat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the leaders at rain-drenched Rajghat.
He welcomed the dignitaries with an 'angvastram' or stole having in the background an image of Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat, which was his home from 1917 to 1930 and served as one of the main centres of India's freedom struggle.
With India's G20 presidency ensuring several tangible outcomes, world leaders at the two-day summit hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "decisive leadership" and for championing the voice of the Global South, sources said on Sunday.
The world leaders also hailed India's hospitality and praised Prime Minister Modi for presiding over a successful summit, while noting that the country's message of 'one earth, one family, one future' resonated strongly with all the delegates.
"Under India's leadership, we have demonstrated that we can come together, at a time when it really matters. When you walk around in 'Bharat Mandapam' and see the displays, we can see what PM Modi, the digital initiative and technology can do --delivering service to people in remote corners of our nations," a source quoted British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as saying at one of the meetings.
