Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks as US President Joe Biden with other leaders listen during the first session of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday welcomed a host of world leaders, including US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the G20 Summit.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Argentinian President Alberto Fernandez and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni were among those received warmly by Modi.
The world leaders walked the red carpet lined with national flags with the wall depicting different yoga postures.
Modi welcomed the world leaders with a warm handshake against the backdrop of the replica of the Konark Wheel, a 13th-century artefact symbolising time, progress and continuous change, in Sun Temple in Odisha.
As Prime Minister Modi gears up to host top world leaders for the 2-day summit, here is a look at the planned schedule:
September 9
• 9:30 am to 10:30 am: Arrival of leaders and delegations heads at venue, Bharat Mandapam, followed by a welcome photograph with the Prime Minister at Tree of Life Foyer. Leaders and heads of delegation will then assemble in Leaders' Lounge.
• 10:30 am to 1:30 pm: The first session, 'One Earth,' to take place at Summit Hall at Bharat Mandapam, followed by a working lunch.
• 13:30 am to 3:30 pm: Various bilateral meetings will be held.
• 3:30 pm to 4:45 pm: The second session, 'One Family,' will take place in the summit venue after which the leaders return to their hotels.
• 7 pm to 8 pm: Arrival of leaders and heads of delegation for dinner, beginning with a welcome photograph on arrival.
• 8 pm to 9 pm: During dinner, the leaders will engage in talks over their meal.
• 9 pm to 9:45 pm: Leaders and heads of delegation will assemble in the Leaders' Lounge at Bharat Mandapam to bring the day to a close.
September 10
• 8:15 am to 9 am: Arrival of leaders and heads of delegations in their individual motorcades at Rajghat and a signing of the peace wall inside the Leaders' Lounge at Rajghat.
• 9 am to 9:20 am: World leaders to lay wreaths at Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi followed by a live performance of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite devotional songs. Subsequently, leaders and heads of delegations will move to the Bharat Mandapam's Leaders' Lounge.
• 9:40 am to 10:15 am: Arrival of leaders and heads of delegation at Bharat Mandapam.
• 10:15 am -10:30 am: Tree planting ceremony at Bharat Mandapam's South Plaza.
• 10:30 am to 12:30 pm: The third session of the summit, called 'One Future', will take place at the venue followed by the adoption of the New Delhi Leaders' Declaration.
(With inputs from PTI)