Emmanuel Macron to hold bilateral meeting with Modi

NEW DELHI: French President Emmanuel Macron will arrive in New Delhi on Saturday for a two-day visit to attend the G20 Summit under India's Presidency scheduled to be held from September 9-10.

Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting likely in the form of a lunch at the end of the G20 Summit on September 10. Previously, the two leaders met in July during PM Modi's visit to France to attend Bastille Day Parade. During his two-day visit to India, Emmanuel Macron will have bilateral meetings with other world leaders, particularly with Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, according to the Embassy of France in India.

Prior to his departure, Macron is likely to hold a press conference at the venue on Sunday afternoon, according to the Embassy of France in India. He will depart for Bangladesh on Sunday afternoon. Emmanuel Macron through the G20 Summit will continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent. It will also be an opportunities to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can be tackled through multilateral action.

French President's office in a statement said, "The G20 Summit will enable France’s Head of State to continue his ongoing dialogue with his counterparts from every continent, so as to combat the risks of fragmentation of the world. It will also be an opportunity to make progress in implementing joint responses to the major global challenges that can only be tackled effectively through multilateral action: peace and stability, poverty alleviation, protection of climate and our planet, food security, and digital regulation." It further said, "The Summit will also provide an opportunity to follow up on the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in Paris last June.

This had led to the establishment of the Paris Agenda for People and the Planet, providing a framework for collective action to ensure that no country has to choose between fighting poverty and protecting the planet."

India is hosting the G20 Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10. India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

The 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the Summit in New Delhi, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.