India is the chair this year of the Group of 20 (G20), one of the most important international forums, and plans more than 100 G20 meetings across the country.
The G20 is primarily concerned with economic matters. It is made up of the world’s 20 largest economies – the European Union and 19 countries.
The bloc generates 85 percent of the global gross domestic product and accounts for two-thirds of the world’s population.
The G20 was formed in 1999 in the wake of a number of economic crises, including the 1997 Asian financial crisis. It includes longtime industrialised and developing countries. It describes itself as the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.
The G20 members are:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- European Union
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States
India as 2023 host
The latest G20 gathering is a tourism meeting in Indian-administered Kashmir, taking place under tight security and with criticism from China and Pakistan.
New Delhi is seeking to promote the disputed region’s tourism potential. The aim of the meeting is to accelerate the tourism sector’s move towards sustainable development goals by 2030, the Indian government says.
More than 60 delegates are attending the three-day event, which started on Monday.
However, China is not attending. It opposes the meeting being held in the disputed Himalayan territory.
Pakistan, which along with India claims the territory in full, has also condemned New Delhi’s decision to hold the event there.
