Amid uncertainty over a much-awaited Leaders’ Declaration at the end of the G-20 summit in New Delhi, and in the absence of two top non-Western leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Chinese President XI Jinping, India’s G-20 presidency concluded with an agreed-upon Leadership Declaration. The Russian leadership had made it clear to its Indian counterparts that they wouldn't agree to the repeat of the G-20’s Bali Declaration where Russia was directly incriminated for the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"There will be no general declaration on behalf of all members if our position is not reflected," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had warned publicly to block any declaration critical of Moscow.

Simultaneously, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, too, perhaps on behalf of Western countries, wanted the G-20 presidency to be more critical of Russia.

In this polarized environment, there appeared only faint hope of the Leaders' Declaration at the end of the summit.

However, the G-20 summit had a far more large and diverse agenda on the table, Ukraine being one of them. For the interest of dozens of important issues of global interest, postponing a declaration on the Ukrainian crisis could have been disappointing for many countries whose stakes in the ongoing war are not direct, including the countries of the Global South.

During this summit, the participants reached a consensus on several key initiatives, including the Green Development Pact, an Action Plan for achieving Sustainable Development Goals, the formulation of High-level principles to combat Anti-Corruption, endorsement for the establishment and advancement of Digital Public Infrastructure and the proposal for Reform of Multilateral Development Banks.

AU's permanent membership

One of the most important successes of the summit was the expansion of the G-20 group by including the world’s poorest and most marginalized bloc, the African Union (AU) at par with the European Union. The collective representation of the countries of Africa, via the AU, would create much necessary parity in the ongoing dialogue on the high table and bring the issues of the least developed nations discussed there.

Among the issues that are of greatest concern for their development are the devastating impacts of climate change on their long-term development. The Indian presidency along with its previous climate change talks had been proposing a differentiated approach where the responsibility of corrective policies is divided based on each country’s contribution to the increase of greenhouse emissions. Important to this agreement are finance and investments in development projects in the least developed nations, such as in Africa. International support for sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth is one of the key requirements that the least developed nations need.

As digital currencies are becoming commonly used in all countries, their misuse by criminals and terrorists beyond borders is a growing concern. This requires a digital public infrastructure that promotes the use of digital infrastructure without fear and misuse. However, the lack of international cooperation remains a problem as many underdeveloped nations lack the resources to build an efficient digital infrastructure. Countries like India and China where the information technology industry has grown substantially, mostly, with little dependency on the West, have offered their help to several developing nations. At the G-20 level, a consensus on digital infrastructure is an important victory for the Global South.

BRICS summit

Before the G-20 summit in New Delhi, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in South Africa agreed to include Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as new members of the group. This expansion of one of the fastest-growing blocs in the world was in line with a process of bringing the Global South at par with the Global North.

China and India share a common understanding, despite their border dispute, a vision for the Global South that the era of dependency on and discrimination in accessing global finance must come to an end. As a result, along with four important Arab and Muslim nations, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the BRICS’s expansion and G-20’s growing influence brings greater parity and equality in global governance.

Türkiye, a member of the G-20 and a country with increasing and deepening relations with the Global South, is being carefully looked at by all as to how it will balance its relations with the West and the East at the same time. One of the biggest challenges for Türkiye’s diplomacy has been the war in Ukraine.

In the last decade, Türkiye has completely changed its relations with Russia, from being a Cold War "frenemy" to a confident partner in several regional and global conflicts including Syria, Azerbaijan and Libya. Peace in Syria was not possible without Türkiye-Russia cooperation in the Astana Peace Process. In Azerbaijan as well, both countries are maintaining peace and stability after the Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020.

Ukraine war reshaped Black Sea dynamics

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has significantly reshaped Türkiye’s security considerations. The Black Sea's power dynamics have witnessed a rapid transformation ever since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, followed by its military actions in 2022, which encroached upon Ukrainian territories, including Ukraine’s extensive Black Sea coastline.

Supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, the Turkish government has consistently emphasized Ankara's readiness to offer diplomatic assistance and serve as a mediator in pursuing lasting peace between the parties. Consequently, Türkiye has been actively and constructively engaged in diplomatic efforts with both Russia and Ukraine, to facilitate an agreement between the two nations. The G-20 Leaders’ Declaration rightfully acknowledges the pivotal role Türkiye has played in bringing Russia and Ukraine together for a mutually beneficial grain deal.

Especially since the 2023 election, Türkiye’s foreign policy has been reset to make more regional rapprochements, as well as with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Armenia, the United States and the European Union. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met global leaders on the sidelines of the summit, including Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Notably, the G-20 leaders also deplored "all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief" and condemned "all acts of religious hatred, including against religious symbols and holy books." Desecration of the Holy Quran in several European capitals has become common these days, and the Turkish president and other Arab leaders have spoken out against these acts. By incorporating these concerns, India, Türkiye and several Arab countries have found a common ground to cooperate for religious harmony and brotherhood.