G20 Summit: Sayyid Asaad conveys HM's greetings

New Delhi: Representing His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, HH Sayyid Asa’ad bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs, Personal Representative of His Majesty the Sultan chaired the Sultanate of Oman’s delegation at the G20 Summit, which began in New Delhi, the Republic of India today.

HH Sayyid Asa’ad was received upon arrival at the summit venue by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India.

At the opening of the summit, HH Sayyid Asa’ad delivered a speech reading as follows:

“First of all, it is my honor to convey to you greetings of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman, and His Majesty’s best wishes for the success of this summit, as well as his appreciation for the achievements made in tracks during Indian presidency.

We welcome the theme of the Indian Presidency for this year's G20 edition, "One Earth, One Family, One Future." We stress the importance of joint action, not only for the preservation and protection of the earth but for the progress and prosperity of all mankind.

The Sultanate of Oman believes in the spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility, and is committed to it in the pursuit of public benefit.

Therefore, we in the Sultanate of Oman are aware of our role and responsibility. We are committed to the visions and initiatives of the international community to achieve the 2030 economic development goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, to name a few.

In conclusion, we look forward to continuing to boost cooperation and partnership with all G20 countries, in all desired areas that benefit everyone.”

The 18th G20 summit carries the themes of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”. It focuses on sustainable development, in addition to measures to spread economic growth in a more balanced manner between developed and developing countries.

It also discusses various issues such as loans to developing countries, debt reform, regulation of cryptocurrencies and geopolitical tensions, in addition to climate change.

Oman is participating in the 18th G20 Summit as a guest country, as per an invitation extended from the Republic of India.

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Delegated by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, HH Sayyid Asaad, and his accompanying delegation arrived in India on Friday.

HH Sayyid Asaad will head the Sultanate of Oman’s delegation at the G20 Summit, to be held in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

HH Sayyid Asaad and his accompanying delegation were received upon their arrival by Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Indian Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Issa bin Saleh al Shibani, Ambassador of Oman to India, members of the Omani Embassy in India and some Indian government officials.

HH Sayyid Asaad is accompanied by an official delegation comprising some ministers and under-secretaries.

The African Union will be made a permanent member of the G20, comprising the world's richest and most powerful countries, at the bloc's summit in New Delhi, according to a draft declaration reviewed by Reuters.

The African Union, a continental body of 55 member states, would get the same status as the European Union - the only regional bloc with full membership. Its current designation is "invited international organization".

"We welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 and strongly believe that inclusion of the African Union into the G20 will significantly contribute to addressing the global challenges of our time," the draft declaration said.

Other issues being decided on at the summit include more loans to developing nations by multilateral institutions, reform of international debt architecture, regulations on cryptocurrency, and the impact of geopolitics on food and energy security. The 38-page draft circulated among members left the "geopolitical situation" paragraph blank, while it agreed on the 75 other paragraphs which included climate change, cryptocurrencies, and reforms in multilateral development banks. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the move in June, and there were no objections against the move from any of the members, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The G20 currently comprises 19 countries and the European Union, with the members representing around 85% of global GDP, more than 75% of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.