NEW DELHI: In a strong message aimed at Russia, China, and Pakistan, leaders of G20 on Saturday warned countries against misadventures for forcibly occupying territories of other nations.
In their declaration, PM Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and other leaders refrained from condemning Russia for invading Ukraine last year, but called for upholding the UN charters on maintaining peace.
“In line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state,” reads the G20 Leaders New Delhi Declaration.
The leaders also said that the use of using or threatening to use “nuclear weapons is inadmissible”.
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The declaration comes amid continuing stand-off between Indian and Chinese soldiers along the Line of Control (LAC) eastern Ladakh. The tension started in early 2020 and escalated in May that year when soldiers engaged in a bloody clash in the Galwan valley, resulting in the death of 20 Indian troops and around 40 PLA soldiers.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has followed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to skip the summit, and instead sent the Chinese premier to the prestigious gathering.
Senior Indian and PLA military commanders have held at least 19 rounds of talks, but a full resolution of the stand-off is yet to be achieved.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jinping held a brief conversation on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and both sides agreed to expedite the process to find a resolution soon.
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Officials in New Delhi hope that Indian and Chinese officials could hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G20 Summit at Bharat Mandapam. However, experts say that the Chinese premier lacks authority to deal on security matters.
Meanwhile, G20 leaders have underscored that “all states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety”.
However, leaders stopped short of condemning Russia for invading Ukraine.
“Recalling our collective actions to stem earlier global crises, we are determined to steer the world out of its current challenges and build a safer, stronger, more resilient, inclusive and healthier future for our people and the planet,” the declaration said.