G20 Summit 2023 Live: India Proposes To Launch Climate Observation Satellite; Modi, Sunak Agree To Work On FTA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak agreed to continue to work at pace towards a “landmark” free trade agreement (FTA) during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi.

According to a readout of the meeting from 10 Downing Street, the topics of agenda of the meeting included cooperation in the field of defence technology, innovation and some consular issues among others.

India proposed to launch a G20 Satellite Mission for Environment and Climate Observation, with an aim to help the countries of the global south.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested the satellite proposal at the G20 Leaders' Summit in the presence of world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa among others.

PM Modi added that the G20 satellite mission would be beneficial for all of humanity just as the data obtained from India's successful Chandrayaan moon mission.

G20 leaders called for a strong, sustainable, and inclusive growth as an answer to the uneven recovery the world has seen from the pandemic-infused plunder, and flagged trillions of dollar that countries would need to meet their climate goals and clean energy technologies, reported PTI.

PTI added that while developing countries need $5.8-5.9 trillion in the pre-2030 period for their climate goals, the world would need an investment of another $4 trillion per annum by 2030 to help reach net-zero carbon emission goal by 2050.

The G20 grouping under India's presidency has condemned terrorism in all its forms and called for strengthening of efforts to increase the effectiveness of international cooperation to deny terrorist groups safe haven, freedom of operations as well as financial, material or political support, reported PTI.