In a vital development, Jammu and Kashmir will be hosting the 2023 meetings of G-20, an influential grouping that brings together the world’s major economies. On thursday, the government of the Union Territory set up a five-member high level committee for overall coordination.

 

This will be the first major international summit to be held in Jammu and Kashmir after the erstwhile state’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution was withdrawn and it was divided into two union territories in August 2019.

 

In September last year, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was appointed as India’s Sherpa for the G20. The Ministry of External Affairs had said that India will hold the G20 presidency from December 1, 2022, and will convene the G20 leaders’ summit in 2023 for the first time.

 

As per the official order issued on June 23, the Principal Secretary of Union Territory's housing and urban development department will be the chairman of the committee which was formed in response to a June 4 communication from the Ministry of External Affairs.

 

"Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a committee for overall co-ordination of G20 meetings to be held in the Union Territory of J&K," read the order issued by Principal Secretary, General Administration Department, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi.

 

The committee includes Commissioner Secretary (Transport), Administrative Secretary (Hospitality and Protocol), Administrative Secretary (Tourism), and Administrative Secretary (Culture). The order added: "Further, principal secretary to the government, housing and urban development department is also nominated as UT level nodal officer to coordinate the arrangements for G20 meetings in the Union Territory of J&K."

 

 

The MEA had earlier said that India would be a member of the G20 Troika (preceding, current, and incoming G20 Presidencies) from December 1, 2021, to November 30, 2024.

 

According to MEA, G20 brings together 19 of the world's leading economies and the European Union, with its members accounting for more than 80 per cent of global GDP, 75 percent of global trade, and 60 percent of the global population.

 

The countries that make up the G20 are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.