The 18th G20 Summit will be held at the newly built Bharat Mandapam at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi next week. Authorities in the national capital have been making extensive arrangements to welcome delegates from across the world that will include over 25 heads of state and global institution leaders.
The mega event, scheduled to be held on September 9 and 10, marks the culmination of a number of G20 “processes and meetings” held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. India took over the presidency of G20 from Indonesia in December last year. Next, Brazil will assume the G20 presidency.
Venue
The G20 Summit will be organised at Bharat Mandapam, the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) complex at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July this year. PM Modi had also unveiled the G20 coin and G20 stamp at the opening of the centre.
Bharat Mandapam has been built at a cost of around Rs 2,700 crore. It has a campus area of about 123 acres and will serve as the country’s largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination. It features state-of-the-art facilities such as exhibition halls, convention centre, amphitheatre, interpreter room that supports 16 different languages, huge video walls, light management system with dimming and occupancy sensors, integrated surveillance system, and Data Communication Network (DCN).
Who is attending the summit?
US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and French President Emmanuel Macron, among others, have confirmed their participation in the 18th G20 Summit.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will be skipping the event and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent the country. India has reportedly not yet received confirmation from China on the participation of President Xi Jinping. Reports suggested that Premier Li Qiang might arrive for the Summit instead.
The G20 invitees also include Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Oman’s Head of State Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, among other heads of state.
India has also invited international organisations such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Health Organization (WHO) along with chairs of regional organisations, and guest international organisations.
Arrangements for the event
In view of the G20 Summit, offices, malls, restaurants, and markets will be closed in New Delhi from September 8. The Supreme Court, which is near the event venue, will also remain closed. People living in the New Delhi district will be allowed entry and exit but those from outside the district will need special passes. Metro and bus services will remain operational during the summit but with restrictions. Medical emergency vehicles would not be stopped and the traffic police will set up a dedicated ambulance assistance control room.
