As part of the lecture series on India’s G20 Presidency, India Arab Cultural Centre (IACC), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) organized a lecture on “India’s G-20 Presidency and the Arab World, Delivered by Amb. Anil Trigunayat, Former Ambassador to Jordan and Libya on 31st March 2023 at the conference Room of India-Arab Cultural Centre.
Prof. Nasir Raza Khan, the Hony. Director of the Centre, introduced the theme of the lecture and the speaker Amb. Anil Trigunayat (former IFS) who is not only former Ambassador to Jorden & Libya but also an erudite scholar and prolific writer too. His columns on the relationship between India and West Asian countries regularly appear in many prestigious newspapers and magazines.
Amb. Anil Trigunayat’s delivered one of the most informative and thought-provoking lecture. He highlighted that G20 Presidency offers a unique opportunity for India to contribute to the global agenda on pressing issues of international importance. Talking about the theme of India’s G-20 Presidency “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth One Family One Future”, Amb. Trigunayat mentioned how India plans to focus on the inclusivity of the member nations. He further detailed the agendas India would aim at covering under its Presidency, many of which are exclusively meant for the Arab world countries.
He underlined the point of the World moving towards a cold war-like situation, in which India can claim its deserved leadership in the Global South by offering the depoliticization of the Three F’s being Food, Fertilizer, Fuel, and dealing with the challenges faced by developing countries. He also pointed out that India would require the support of Arab countries in its venture for the global south leadership.
As a result of the pandemic and the Russia Ukraine war the world especially the Global South have suffered immensely, both India and the Arab World are actively working to address key current and future challenges including the weaponization of fuel, food and fertilizer as well the financial instruments which is having severe impact on the region.
Many of the priorities during the Saudi Presidency of G20 in 2020 and subsequent ones are being carried forward by India as it introduces new areas like global skill mapping, climate justice and health for all, digitalization and resilient infrastructure, women led sustainable development etc. There is a tremendous synergy for working together as both India and the Arab world are looking to follow strategic autonomy in their international discourse. World is likely to be divided into blocs yet again with threat of Cold War2.0 and in that scenario India along with its partners in the Middle East and elsewhere could work to provide some sanity to International discourse for peace through dialogue and Diplomacy.
He also underlined the importance of India’s aspiration for Global Skill Mapping, and the reformation of multilateral institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the United Nations, and the World Health Organization and argued that the biggest challenges faced by the world are what can be summed up in four H’s Health, Hunger, Habitat, and Hi-tech and has potential to play the leading role to overcome these issues
The thought-provoking lecture session was followed by a highly interactive and vibrant Question-Answer session, where students were able to absorb the informed responses from the eminent speaker. It provided the young audience with invaluable insights into the subjects. The session concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Dr. Aftab Ahmad.
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