G20 PRESIDENCY REAFFIRMS INDIA'S SPECIAL STATUS IN WORLD: BRAZIL'S AMBASSADOR

India's G20 presidency has ignited hopes about a new -period of the leadership of emerging economies in the 20-nation grouping.

- Manish Chand

In this interview, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago, Brazil's Ambassador to India, speaks to The Sunday Guardian on Brazil's views on how India can promote the interests of the Global South and emerging economies in G20. A renowned architect critic and writer, Mr do Lago is also upbeat about the future trajectory of India-Brazil partnership under President Lula, who will be officially sworn in on January 1.

Excerpts:

Q: What does Brazil expect from India's G20 presidency? Do you think issues of the South need greater prominence in the G20 agenda?

A: First of all, it is a unique opportunity to have successive G20 presidencies of Indonesia, India, Brazil, and South Africa (2022-2025). IBSA countries will preside over G20 for three years. The three countries have many priorities in common.

What is important is that we do not want to use the South-South dimension to point to the problem, but to point to alternative solution. Sustainable development and curbing climate change the issues that India has been stressing for the G20 presidency are totally in line with the priorities of Brazil.

The world was divided between developed and developing countries on these issues. But now, all countries are behaving. If you look at it objectively, the developed countries do not have high marks in all the SDGs. Of the 17 SDGs, most developed countries only have good marks in seven or six of them. The great progress we have achieved with the SDGs and the 2030 agenda is that in the fight against climate change, we are really in it together; we are not divided anymore among developed and developing countries.