G20 conference fantastically organized by India: German ambassador to India

NEW DELHI: German Ambassador to India, Philipp Ackermann, said that G20 under the Indian presidency was a fantastically organized conference and everybody was happy with the context.

“G20 under current circumstances is a difficult business…but I can say that the Indian side did that masterfully. It was very under the circumstances, it was a fantastically organized and fantastic setup conference. Everybody was happy with the context. My minister had a couple of very good bilaterals on the side. When she left, she was very happy also,” Ackermann said.

The German envoy said he regrets that the geopolitical situation was overshadowing everything else in the G20.

“On the G20, I would say, unfortunately, the Russians and the Chinese did not allow communique because they didn’t accept anymore the language of Bali they had accepted earlier,” he said.

“That is a shame because I think the Indian chair presented a very interesting draft and we negotiated for quite a while. But like in Bangalore, the Russians and the Chinese have made that communique impossible. I regret that it is clear that the geopolitical situation was overshadowing everything else in the G 20,” the German envoy added.

“But I have to say I was following attentively what people say. I’m very glad that other items also came on the agenda, like food security, like poverty reduction, like climate change.”

On the Raisina Dialogue, which was organized in Delhi from March 2-4, he said, “And then of course, there was this big Raisina movement in India where also a couple of German parliamentarians came and what I get from their impressions is that it was a great success.”

“Our Indian friends had a ten times more hectic week and I just want to make that clear that…the Indian side has done outstanding work on every level. So I think we had an excellent Chancellor’s visit. I must say we were highly satisfied,” according to him.

(ANI)