Rio de Janeiro : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China's President Xi Jinping, and other leaders posed for a family photo at the 19th G20 Leaders' Summit. The photo was taken following the launch of the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.
The official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, described it as "a photo for posterity."
"A photo for posterity! The #G20 leaders together for 'Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet'," Jaiswal posted on X.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi welcomed Brazil's initiative to establish the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, emphasising that the Global South is severely impacted by food, fuel, and fertiliser crises caused by ongoing conflicts. He stressed that their concerns must be prioritised.
"We support Brazil's initiative for a 'Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty.' This is an important step towards implementing the Deccan High-Level Principles for Food Security, adopted at the New Delhi Summit," he stated.
During his address at the G20 session on 'Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty,' PM Modi highlighted India's success in lifting 250 million people out of poverty over the last decade. He also reaffirmed India's support for Brazil's initiative.
Speaking about India's achievements in ensuring food security, PM Modi noted that the country's approach, based on "Back to Basics and March to Future," is delivering significant results.
He elaborated on measures taken by India to promote women-led development, highlighting that over 800 million people are provided with free foodgrains, and more than 550 million people benefit from the world's largest health insurance scheme.
"With respect to the theme of the first session, I would like to share India's experiences and success stories. Over the last 10 years, we have lifted 250 million people out of poverty. Over 800 million people are provided with free foodgrains. More than 550 million people benefit from the world's largest health insurance scheme. Now, 60 million senior citizens, over the age of 70, will also be eligible for free health insurance," he said.
Prime Minister Modi emphasised that the development of the Global South hinges on decisions made with their unique challenges in mind.
"Countries of the Global South are most adversely impacted by the food, fuel, and fertiliser crisis caused by global conflicts.
Our discussions can only succeed if we consider the challenges and priorities of the Global South. Just as we amplified the voice of the Global South by granting permanent G20 membership to the African Union during the New Delhi Summit, we will continue to reform global governance institutions," he said.