New Delhi

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday refused to deny or confirm that the government is planning to host next year’s G 20 summit in J&K.

Discouraging speculation related to the venue of the G 20 summit, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India will host a large number of G 20 related events across the country after it assumes Presidency in December this year.

Asked if India has officially stated that it will host the G 20 Summit in J&K, the MEA Official Spokesperson, Mr Arindam Bagchi said, “ We have also seen some media reports on this. As you all know, India will assume Presidency of G 20 from December this year. Apart from the summit which we will host next year- those dates are not yet finalised, a large number of G 20 events will be organized at different levels across the country during our presidency. So, I would say that there is no need to speculate on this at this stage. The G 20 summit is preceded by a large number of meetings including usually meetings like ministerial meetings, working group meetings, engagement group contract meetings and perhaps even special initiatives that each country might take. Some are governmental and some are non governmental. All these will be made public and shared with you as we get close to the summit.’’

Mr Bagchi said If you look at previous years, there is a format and each country also innovates and also puts its own ideas and initials on that.

Asked to clarify if no event related to G 20 is planned in J&K, MEA Official Spokesperson repeated that India will host a lot of events across the country.

Recent news reports have suggested that India proposes to hold the G 20 Leaders’ summit in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The news about the first major international summit in J&K after withdrawal of its special status and division into two union territories in 2019, has generated a lot of enthusiasm.

J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha recently told media persons, “ It is a very good beginning. It is a matter of privilege for us that we will get the opportunity to host the G 20 summit. We have framed a committee and we will put in all our efforts to make it grand.’’

The G 20 is an influential group of the world's major economies and comprises 19 countries and the European Union. The member countries are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K. and the U.S. The G 20 represents all inhabited continents, 80 per cent of world GDP, 75 prer cent of global trade and 60 per cent of the world's population. The G 20 was formed on September 26, 1999, to bring together systemically important industrialised and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy.