PM to visit Italy, UK for G-20 Summit & COP-26 from Oct 29; bilateral meetings lined up [details]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Rome and Glasgow from October 29 to November 2, 2021 to attend the 16th G-20 Summit and the World Leaders' Summit of COP-26 respectively.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs officials, Modi will be participating in the 16th G-20 Summit from 30-31 October at the invitation of Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi in Rome. The Summit will also be attended by Heads of State/Government of G-20 Member Countries, the European Union, and other invited countries and International Organisations.

This will be the 8th G-20 Summit that Modi would be attending.

The forthcoming summit under the Italian Presidency is focused on the theme of 'People, Planet, Prosperity', focusing on the areas of 'Recovery from the Pandemic and Strengthening of Global Health Governance', 'Economic Recovery and Resilience', 'Climate Change and Energy Transition' and 'Sustainable Development and Food Security'.

PM Modi's itinerary

The Prime Minister will also hold a number of bilateral meetings, including with Prime Minister of Italy Mario Draghi.

The G-20 has emerged as the premier global forum for international economic cooperation. India is scheduled to host the G-20 Summit in 2023 for the first time.

PM Modi will, thereafter, travel to Glasgow to attend the World Leader's Summit of the 26th Conference of Parties (COP-26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), at the invitation of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson.

COP-26 is being held from October 31 to November 12, 2021 under the Presidency of the UK partnering with Italy. The high-level segment of COP-26, titled the World Leaders' Summit (WLS), will be held on November 1, 2021. The Summit will be attended by Heads of State/Government of more than 120 countries. COP-26 was originally slated to be held in 2020, but it was deferred to 2021 in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) manifests the global will and vision to combat climate change.

At COP-26, the Parties will work to achieve the completion of Paris Agreement implementation guidelines; the mobilization of climate finance; actions to strengthen climate adaptation, technology development and transfer; and keeping in reach the Paris Agreement goals of limiting the rise in global temperatures.

PM Modi last attended the COP-21 in Paris in 2015, when the Paris Agreement was concluded, which implementation commences this year.

He will also be holding a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of COP-26, including with Prime Minister of the UK, Boris Johnson.

(With inputs from IANS)