Johannesburg, South Africa – Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged in a series of high-level meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, reaffirming India's commitment to global progress and multilateral cooperation. The summit, hosted on African soil for the first time, provided a platform for discussions on critical global issues, including sustainable development, climate change, and technological innovation.
PM Modi's engagements included bilateral meetings with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, French President Emmanuel Macron, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres. These discussions centered on strengthening bilateral ties and exploring avenues for collaboration across various sectors.
A significant outcome of these interactions was the launch of the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership. This trilateral initiative, announced after a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, aims to deepen cooperation in emerging technologies, diversify supply chains, promote clean energy, and encourage the widespread adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI). PM Modi emphasized that the ACITI Partnership would unite three democratic nations across three continents to drive innovation and ensure a better future for generations to come.
During the G20 Summit, PM Modi also met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to discuss cooperation in trade, investment, mining, critical minerals, AI, and food security. He also met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and discussed bilateral cooperation in areas like innovation, defence and talent mobility.
Addressing the summit, PM Modi called for a reappraisal of global development frameworks and proposed a G20 initiative to counter the drug-terror nexus, along with the establishment of a global healthcare response unit. He also highlighted the increasing frequency and impact of natural disasters, advocating for enhanced international cooperation and proposing a G20 Open Satellite Data Partnership to support the Global South.
In a session focused on AI, PM Modi urged nations to work towards a global compact to prevent the misuse of AI, emphasizing the need for human-centric, transparent, and responsible AI development. He stressed that AI systems affecting public trust should be auditable and accountable, with final decision-making resting with humans.
PM Modi also participated in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Leaders' Meeting, underscoring the importance of this trilateral forum in bringing together major democracies and emerging economies from Asia, South America, and Africa. He proposed institutionalizing an IBSA-level National Security Advisor (NSA) meet, creating an IBSA Digital Innovation Alliance, and forming an IBSA Fund for Climate-Resilient Agriculture.
The Prime Minister's engagements at the G20 Summit underscored India's proactive role in addressing global challenges, fostering international cooperation, and promoting sustainable and inclusive development.
