G20 Delhi Summit concludes, PM Modi passes gavel to Brazil's Lula da Silva with a proposal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called an end on Sunday to the G20 Summit in New Delhi by passing on a ceremonial gavel to Brazil, which will take the bloc's presidency. “I want to congratulate Brazil's president and my friend Lula da Silva, and hand over the presidency's gavel to him,” Modi said.

Brazil officially will take over the mantle of the presidency of the elite grouping on December 1. Speaking on the occasion, Lula da Silva congratulated Modi and thanked India for its efforts to give voice to the topics of interest to emerging economies.

Lula da Silva also listed social inclusion, the fight against hunger, energy transition and sustainable development as G20 priorities.

He said the UN Security Council needs new developing countries as permanent, non-permanent members to regain political strength.

"We want greater representation for emerging countries at the World Bank and the IMF," he said.

"Brazilian presidency of the G20 has three priorities - first, social inclusion and fight against hunger. Second, energy transition and sustainable development in its three aspects... Third, the reform of global governance institutions. All these priorities are part of the Brazilian presidency motto which says 'building a fair world and a sustainable planet'. Two task forces will be created - global alliance against hunger and poverty and the global mobilisation against climate change."

On the occasion, Modi proposed to hold a virtual session of G20 at the end of November.

"In the last two days, you have put forward your views, given suggestions and a number of proposals have been put forward. It is our responsibility that the suggestions that have come forth are closely looked upon as to how they can be speeded up," Modi said.

"It is my proposal that we hold another session of the G20 virtually in November- end. In that session, we can review the issues that have been agreed upon during this summit. Our teams will share the details of it with all of view. I hope all of you will join this (session)," he said.

"With this, I declare the G20 summit as closed," Modi said.

He cited a Sanskrit shloka to pray for hope and peace in the entire world.

US, Russia praise G20 Summit declaration

Russia and the US both praised the G20 Summit declaration that stopped short of directly criticising Moscow for the war in Ukraine as the bloc's leaders headed into the final day of deliberations on Sunday.

The world's biggest economies adopted a consensus declaration in New Delhi on Saturday that avoided condemning Russia for the war but highlighted the human suffering the conflict had caused and called on all states not to use force to grab territory.

"Everything was reflected in a balanced form," Svetlana Lukash, the Russian G20 sherpa, or government negotiator, was quoted as saying by Russian news agency Interfax.

"All members of the G20 have agreed to act as one in the interests of peace, security and conflict resolution around the world."

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters the declaration "does a very good job of standing up for the principle that states cannot use force to seek territorial acquisition or to violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of other states".

Germany and Britain have also praised the resolution but Ukraine has said "it was nothing to be proud of".