The G20 Leaders’ Summit 2025 opened in South Africa on Friday, marking a significant moment for the international forum as it convenes on the African continent for the first time. Hosted in Johannesburg, the three-day gathering carries the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” reflecting South Africa’s priorities of promoting collaborative global action in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.
This year’s summit places particular emphasis on strengthening disaster resilience, ensuring debt sustainability for low-income nations, and expanding access to climate finance to support a just energy transition. South Africa has also highlighted the importance of securing and managing critical minerals to promote inclusive and sustainable growth, an issue that has gained prominence as countries seek to balance development with supply chain security. Discussions throughout the summit are expected to focus on long-term global stability, economic reform and sustainable development at a time when many economies continue to navigate uneven recovery trajectories.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Johannesburg on Friday evening to participate in the sessions and engage in several bilateral meetings. On Saturday, he met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the summit venue, where the leaders reviewed ongoing cooperation and discussed opportunities to further strengthen ties across trade, technology and development sectors.
In another key engagement, Prime Minister Modi met Brazilian President Inacio Lula da Silva on the sidelines of the summit, underscoring the sustained momentum in India-Brazil relations. The two leaders reflected on progress made since Modi’s visit to Brazil earlier in the year, while reaffirming their shared commitment to deepen the strategic partnership. Modi later stated that India and Brazil would continue to work closely to enhance trade and cultural linkages, noting the value of their long-standing cooperation within the G20 framework.
A major announcement came during Modi’s meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The three leaders jointly unveiled the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, a trilateral initiative aimed at advancing technological collaboration, innovation-led growth and new opportunities for digital cooperation. Modi described the meeting as excellent and expressed optimism about the partnership’s potential to strengthen innovation ecosystems across the three countries.
Prime Minister Modi also interacted with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni ahead of the summit’s opening session. The leaders exchanged warm greetings, reflecting the continued cordiality in India-Italy relations. Modi and Meloni have frequently acknowledged the shared values and cultural affinities that have contributed to the strengthening of bilateral ties, especially in areas such as heritage conservation, community engagement and collaborative global leadership.
Critical minerals remained a central topic at the summit, with G20 leaders expressing concern over the vulnerability of global supply chains. In the joint declaration released on Saturday, leaders noted the need to shield the supply of these essential resources from geopolitical tensions, pandemics, unilateral trade measures and natural disasters. The statement underscored the importance of maintaining supply chains that are stable, transparent and aligned with international trade rules. The issue has gained urgency as industrialized nations seek to reduce overdependence on limited suppliers and secure resources vital for clean energy technologies, electronics and advanced manufacturing.
As the G20 summit continues, leaders are expected to deliberate on pressing global challenges including climate resilience, equitable development and multilateral cooperation. South Africa’s stewardship of the summit has drawn attention to the priorities and aspirations of the Global South, while also highlighting the need for unified action in addressing shared global concerns.
