Portugal, Mexico and Bhutan foreign ministers praise India’s Presidency at G20 Summit

Portugal’s Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho on September 24 praised India for its significant weight and credibility to point out major global issues. While speaking to news agency ANI, Cravinho termed the ongoing standoff between India and Canada as a “matter between the two countries.” 

The Portugal Foreign Minister expressed hope that the issue between the two countries will be “resolved quickly.”

Speaking on the sidelines of 'India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development' event in New York City, Cravinho said, "It is a matter between India and Canada. Both are friends of ours. We have excellent relations with Canada and India. We very much hope that divergence between both the countries can be quickly resolved to satisfaction for both of them."

He added that India is changing in terms of its ability to portray itself worldwide and has the weight and credibility to draw attention to some of the most pressing global issues. 

"India is a country that I have enormous respect and affection for. I had the good fortune to live there for three-and-a-half years. I have seen India transforming in the context of its capacity to project itself internationally and to assume international leadership roles. And that's something I think that is highly valuable at this time of which we're living. It's a time of change, a time of transition, a time in which the old world order is being seriously undermined because of its difficulty in responding to the challenges of current times," the Portuguese minister said.

Portugal emphasises the necessity for transition in UNSC 

In addition, he emphasised the necessity for transition in areas like the United Nations Security Council and the international financial architecture.

"And, is, of course, emerging as a country of reference, not just for the so- called global South. I prefer the term plural south because of the heterogeneity, of countries in the southern hemisphere, not that India is in the southern hemisphere, but, I think that India has the weight and credibility to point up some of the major issues that need changing, such as the international financial architecture or the current security council which is corresponding to a time that is no longer the present time," Cravinho said.

Portugese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also supported India and Brazil to be given permanent membership of a UNSC, while pushing for a 'reformed Security Council'.

Mexico praises India for fantastic G20 

Moreover, Mexico's Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena Ibarra also praised India for the “Fantastic job done on G20.'' 

 "I want to congratulate India and the ministers on the fantastic job done on G20. I think there were great advances in the declaration and to come back to many topics that are so crucial for the multilateral agenda. I want to congratulate India for landing on the moon. I think that's a great advancement and we discussed cooperation in space. And then we discuss an IT Forum, that is, an encounter that's gonna be taking place in India,” she said. 

“We discuss in certain ways matters that are with traditional medicine, which we are very interested in, looking at the Indian experience and vice versa. We have a couple of MOUs that we are signing on Cofepris and the medical entities of India. Finally, we discuss matters of the world, the BRICS, and the security council, and I think we agree on mechanisms of how we can relate better for Mexico. It is important to participate in the BRICS debates, not to become a member, we want to be there. And also on the discussions of the security council, how do we, how can we engage in an intergovernmental negotiation? And of course, India has a candidacy for the Security Council, which we are very happy to support,” she added. 

Bhutan lauds India’s Presidency at G20 

Bhutan’s Minister of External Affairs Tandi Dorji also lauded India’s Presidency at the G20 summit and praised the efforts made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and EAM Dr S. Jaishankar to reach a consensus among diverse nations. 

The Bhutanese diplomat made these remarks while he was addressing the India-UN Global South: Delivering for Development event which was held in New York on September 23.