India is set to host the G20 summit on September 9th and 10th, a gathering that will bring together the world’s 19 largest economies and the European Union. New Delhi is abuzz with activity and has implemented stringent security measures in anticipation of this significant event.
The Indian government has spared no expense in its preparations, having constructed a new convention center dedicated to the summit, set to be inaugurated on Saturday, September 9th. The city of New Delhi itself has been transformed with prominent statues adorned with India’s national symbols and the omnipresent portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has personalized this G20 presidency to an exceptional degree. This initiative serves a dual purpose: to utilize the summit as a political platform, seven months before the legislative elections, and to showcase India’s heightened international standing by hosting the world.
This summit ranks among India’s most significant international gatherings since gaining independence, eclipsing even the India-Africa summit of 2015 and the Non-Aligned Movement summit of 1983. New Delhi is preparing to welcome approximately thirty heads of state and international organizations, including the presidents of the United States and France. Consequently, security measures have been significantly intensified, with a substantial portion of central New Delhi being closed to traffic on Saturday, September 9th, and Sunday, September 10th. Schools and many businesses will remain closed, and even food deliveries will be prohibited. This presents a unique form of lockdown for the city’s residents.
Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin will be absent from the summit, a decision not entirely unexpected given his minimal international travel since the onset of the Ukraine conflict. While India is not a signatory to the International Criminal Court treaty, rendering his arrest unlikely, his presence in New Delhi would have placed him in an intricate situation amid Western leaders.
The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, however, is more surprising, marking the first time he has missed a G20 summit since 2008. This development can be viewed from two angles: either as an attempt to undermine India’s regional influence, especially given the ongoing border disputes between the two nations or as a more serious indication of China’s disillusionment with the G20, perceived by Beijing as overly Western, prompting it to explore alternative regional groupings.