Brazil's President Lula Hails Delhi Declaration, Says Disappointed Xi Skipped G20 Summit

Hailing India’s presidency of the G20 Summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva termed the Delhi declaration a ‘victory’ for the organisers. The Brazilian President also expressed disappointment over his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping not attending the summit in New Delhi and said the geopolitical issues should not have hijacked the discussions.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost’s Managing Editor Palki Sharma, Lula Da Silva said he will take lessons from India and implement them in Brazil next year.

Brazil assumed the presidency of the bloc of emerging and developed economies from India on Sunday. The next summit will be held in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.

“I am not aware of the litigation that happened between India and China. I am not aware of the conflict between the two countries. If I were the Chinese President, I would not have skipped the G20 meeting in India. It is very important to participate in this forum to have direct contact with leaders and have bilateral meetings to discuss the interests of your country. I regret the Chinese president did not come,” he said.

Hailing the Delhi declaration, President Lula said that India’s agenda was comprehensive, and it has shown a new way to the world.

“The Delhi Declaration is a win for the organisers- India. The G20 arrangements in New Delhi are very good, we will take lessons and implement them in Brazil next year,” the Brazilian president said.

The G20 bloc was divided on the war in Ukraine and a consensus on the New Delhi Declaration could be reached only after diluting the references to the conflict. The G20 declaration stopped short of criticising Russia and only denounced the use of force for territorial gain.

He further said that he will go to Russia for the BRICS summit next year and also invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the G20 summit in Brazil next year. “There’s no way he’ll be arrested in my country,” he added.

Later today, while addressing the closing ceremony of the G20 Summit in Delhi, Lula said the bloc was not interested in a “divided G20” and the challenges of the day could be faced only through joint action.

Geopolitical issues should not hijack the discussions at G20, Lula da Silva said after assuming the presidency of the bloc. “We need peace and cooperation instead of conflict,” he said soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over the G20 presidency to him.

“The path that will take us from New Delhi to Rio de Janeiro will require lot of dedication and commitment from everyone,” Lula said.

He said the Brazilian presidency will hold G20 meetings in cities in each of the five regions of the South American country.