Argentina President praises India for successfully hosting G20 Summit amid ongoing world situation

Sep 09, 2023

New Delhi [India], September 9 : Argentina President Alberto Fernández praised India for successfully hosting the G20 Summit amid the ongoing world situation, including the Ukrainian conflict. 
Fernandez said, "India has been a wonderful host and president of the G20...It is a very hard moment to organise an event such as the G20 right now because of the Ukrainian conflict and the situation that the world is undergoing right now..."
He further highlighted on the India-Argentina relationship and said that the link between both the countries is special. 
"We (India-Argentina) do have a very long-standing relationship. That is why the link between Argentina and India is so special...Now, India and Argentina share the same icon - (Lionel) Messi. But what I think is the most important is that we share a very similar view on the world...," he added. 
Fernandez also appreciated the expansion of BRICS where Argentina was invited to join the alliance. He further praised the proposal to create a common currency that can be used, setting aside the Dollar. 
"...I believe that the founding partners of BRICS made a good decision, not just by founding BRICS...but also by incorporating other countries into the BRICS. They have incorporated five countries...They have made an innovative proposal to create a common currency that we can use and set aside the Dollar...I talked to President Xi Jinping and asked him to let us join the BRICS. I talked about this with every President and PM Modi as well...Now, I welcome and appreciate the fact that we were given this opportunity...," Fernandez said. 
Following the 15th BRICS summit, the five-member BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) invited Argentina along with five other countries to join the alliance.
Argentina President also said that the G20 should include the Latin American and Caribbean States' as they face a similar situation as the African Union. 
"I think the Indian presidency has taken a huge step forward by incorporating the African Union into the G20. I have proposed that based on that decision, the G20 should incorporate the community of Latin American and Caribbean States which undergo a situation very similar to that of the African Union," he said. 
Talking about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Fernandez told ANI, "It is quite clear that north and south have quite different realities."
On the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said that Russia was wrong in what they did.
"There is no doubt as well that the north has taken a very strict position in terms of the Ukranian conflict. And they are supporting Ukraine in the war by providing weapons and resources. In the south there are different views, however, we believe Russia was wrong in what they did.
Moreover, Fernandez highlighted that the conflict is detrimental to the world and has shaken the economic balance of the world. 
"We believe that as this conflict goes in lingers in time, that is very detrimental to the world. It is ethically harmful because people continue to die and after a pandemic, this is inadmissible. It has broken the economic balance of the world," he added. 
Argentina President also noted that the world is dealing with food and climate crisis and we (world) is not solving any of it. 
"The world is undergoing a very significant food crisis and the truth is we are not solving it. And the world i also undergoing a huge climate crisis and the truth again is that we not solving it either," he said. 
Fernandez further said, "We need less speeches and more action."
Argentina President Fernandez arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the G20 Summit being held on September 9-10. He was received at the Delhi airport by the Minister of State for Steel and Rural Development Faggan Singh Kulaste.