EAM , CM to greet delegates at G20 opening session today

VARANASI: Kashi is all geared up for the three-day G20 development ministers' meeting beginning Sunday. Among other issues of global importance, the meet is expected to focus on disruptions in global supply chains, food and energy security challenges and impact of climate change.
While external affairs minister S Jaishanker reached Varanasi on Saturday afternoon to take stock of the preparations, Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath will reach on Sunday morning to personally welcome the guests.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver a special video address at the beginning of the meeting on Monday while the CM will host a dinner for the development ministers and other delegates of G20 member countries and other invited nations at Hotel Taj here on Sunday evening. District magistrate S Rajalingam said, "EAM has already reached the city while the CM would be arriving on Sunday morning. After welcoming the participants of G20 meet, the guests would be taken on the cruise to see Ganga Aarti on Sunday evening. Later, the CM will host a dinner for the guests on behalf of the UP government in the presence of EAM."
A total of 200 delegates are expected to attend the meeting. A ccording to ministry of external affairs press release, the Varanasi G20 Development Ministers’ Meeting is taking place amidst mounting developmental challenges that have been further aggravated by economic slowdown, debt distress, impacts of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss, growing poverty and inequality, food and energy insecurity, cost-ofliving crisis, global supplychain disruptions, and geopolitical conflicts and tensions.
The meeting will be an opportunity to collectively agree on actions for accelerating achievement of the SDGs and foster synergies between the development, environment and climate agendas while avoiding costly trade-offs that hold back progress for the developing countries.
The meeting follows the voice of the Global South Summit that was hosted by India in January 2023, and the decisions taken at the Varanasi meeting will also contribute to the United Nations SDG (sustainable development goals) Summit, which will take place in September in New York.
The meeting will consist of two main sessions, one on “Multilateralism: Collective Actions for Accelerating Progress towards SDGs” and the other on “Green Development: A LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) Approach”. The meeting was preceded by the fourth and final Development Working Group (DWG) Meeting, which was held in Delhi from June 6 to June 9.
The DWG, while building on the crucial work done by previous G20 presidencies, has carried forward its mandate of enhancing G20's contribution to accelerating progress towards SDGs and strengthening G20 longterm vision in this regard including by strengthening G20 efforts towards fostering sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic growth.
Cultural programmes, exhibitions and excursions are also being organized to provide the delegates a glimpse into the rich culture and traditions of Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world.