Union Minister V. Muraleedharan participates in G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Rio de Janeiro

Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan participated in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) held under the Brazilian G20 Presidency on 21st and 22nd February in Rio de Janeiro. Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegation of G20 Members, invited countries and International Organizations participated in the Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

At the Session-I, the Minister of State expressed India’s steadfast support to Brazil’s G20 Presidency and noted that four developing countries - Indonesia, India, Brazil and South Africa - are holding the G20 Presidency in a row. Recalling the inclusion of African Union (AU) in the G20 last year, he welcomed the AU to its first G20 FMM as a permanent G20 Member. He emphasized the importance of an inclusive and action-oriented response to contemporary



global challenges, which have a disproportionate impact on the Global South.

At the Session-II, Mr. Muraleedharan noted that the global order has undergone dramatic changes since the creation of the present multilateral governance architecture in the 20th century. He emphasized the critical need for a paradigm shift in the structures and working methods of key global institutions to make them more responsive to contemporary challenges.

The Minister of State also participated in the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting yesterday. IBSA Ministers emphasized the importance of IBSA solidarity and convergence, and agreed on the need to boost functional cooperation in areas of shared interest.