Your Highnesses, Excellencies, Greetings!
Before we begin the formal proceedings, on behalf of all of us I would like to express our heartfelt condolences to the people affected by the earthquake that struck Morocco a short time ago.
We pray that all the injured people get well soon. The entire world community is with Morocco in this difficult time and we are ready to provide them all possible assistance.
Your Highnesses, Excellencies,
India, as President of the G20 Summit, extends a warm welcome to all of you. At present, at a distance of a few kilometers from the place where we are gathered, there is a pillar about two and a half thousand years old.
It is written in Prakrit language on this pillar –
“Hevam Loksa Hitmukhe Ti,
Ath Iyam Natisu Hevam”
i.e.,
The welfare and happiness of humanity should always be ensured.
Two and a half thousand years ago, the land of India gave this message to the entire world.
Let us begin this G-20 Summit by remembering this message. This time of the twenty-first century is an important time which is giving a new direction to the whole world.
This is the time when age-old challenges are demanding new solutions from us.
And therefore, we have to move forward by fulfilling all our responsibilities with a Human Centric approach.
Friends,
After Covid-19, a huge crisis of lack of trust has come in the world. The war has deepened this trust deficit. When we can defeat Covid, we can also overcome this crisis of mutual trust.
Today, as the President of G20 Summit, India calls upon the entire world to first convert this Global Trust Deficit into one trust and one confidence. It is time for all of us to move together.
And so, the mantra of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas” can become a guiding light for all of us. Be it turmoil in the global economy,
divide between North and South,
distance between East and West.
Be it management of Food, Fuel and Fertilizer,
Terrorism and Cyber Security,
Health, Energy and Water Security, we have to move towards concrete solutions to these
challenges for the present as well as future generations. Friends
India’s G-20 Presidency has become a symbol of inclusion, of “sabka saath” within and outside the country. In India, it became the People’s G-20. Crores of Indians joined it. In more than 60 cities of the country. More than 200 meetings were held.
In the spirit of Sabka Saath, India had proposed that the African Union be given permanent membership of the G-20. I believe that we all agree on this proposal. With the consent of all of you, move ahead.
Before we begin the proceedings, I invite the Chair of the African Union to take his seat as a permanent member of the G-20.
Source:PIB