New Delhi: Indian officials worked round-the-clock behind the scenes in the past few months - and particularly the last week - through several channels, including the ministerial and Sherpa tracks, to reach a consensus on the Leaders' Summit Declaration by narrowing differences on the Ukraine-Russia war.
A consensus that had seemed elusive was achieved following hard bargaining and intense discussions among all G20 negotiating teams amid key meetings, ET has learnt. The need for consensus on the New Delhi Declaration that was adopted on Saturday had also figured in the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the Capital on Friday night.
While India was in constant touch with Russia over the issue, external affairs minister S Jaishankar's meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Jakarta played an important role, ET has learnt.
Over Friday and early Saturday, the Prime Minister held critical talks on the issue with visiting leaders. Modi's trip to South Africa and Indonesia in recent weeks, and India's forward-looking role in the BRICS process played a significant role, said people with knowledge of the matter. India, Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa took the lead in convincing the remaining G20 members on the need for a consensus.
The Sherpa track, led by Amitabh Kant, and the G20 secretariat played a key role in the past week. Considerable progress was achieved through Friday and Saturday, with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval also making efforts to narrow down differences among various G20 members. India's refusal to give a platform to the Ukraine president, either physically or virtually, also played a role in shaping Russia's decision. Immense pressure had been put on India to invite the Ukraine president.
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