Prime minister Narendra Modi is going to get into a huddle with 19 world leaders, including his newest friend, Donald Trump and frenemy Xi Jingpin in Hamburg on July 7. The leaders' retreat is a special component of the Group of 20 or G20 summit, in which the leaders interact with each other for two hours.
There should not be any starting awkwardness with Trump, given that the two leaders have just had a rather warm interaction in Washington. But Jingpin will be another matter. Relations with China have not been at their best in recent months, the tension along the border in Sikkim being the latest flashpoint. China is also sulking with India not having participated in the One Belt One Road (OBOR) meet it organised recently. India, too, is not happy with China having scuttled its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
When Modi met Jingpin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet in Astana recently, the two managed to keep contentious issues off the table and held a bilateral, much of which was dominated by Chinese plans to celebrate the International Day of Yoga, and Jingpin's appreciation for India cinema. He himself confessed to having watched Dangal. Despite this bonhomie, the fresh disputes on Sikkim border have mounted tension.
The two-day summit on over July 7 and 8 will focus on a slew of issues, many of which could get contentious. Sustainable development and climate change is one such issue, and given Trump's outlook on the subject, it may be rather tricky for the sherpas to navigate through this particular stretch.
NITI Ayog chief Arvind Panagariya, who is Modi's sherpa for the G20, and finance secretary Shaktikanta Das will be handling the sessions, which cover a range of topics including terrorism, climate change, youth and women, the development role of Africa, and migration. External affairs ministry officials say that the outcomes expected are on areas like green finance, sustainable development and free trade.
The last G20 meet at Antolia had the leaders come out with a separate statement on countering terror. Officials are hopeful that there might be a similar joint statement this time too.
