The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit the city of Osaka in Japan for the G-20 summit from June 27 to June 29.

“Apart from participating at the summit itself, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also have bilateral meetings, and also participate at some pluralateral meetings,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar. “We will announce the dates of these meetings later on.”

Kumar said former Union minister Suresh Prabhu would be the sherpa for the summit. A sherpa is a government representative who leads the preparations for a conference such as the G-20 or the G-7. “This would be the sixth time that Prime Minister Modi would be participating in the summit,” Kumar added.

The G-20 members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Advertisement

Suresh Prabhu said the G-20 countries produce nearly 85% of the world’s Gross Domestic Product. The summit has assumed greater importance following the 2008 global financial crisis, he added. “In the light of fear about a global showdown, I am sure another important issue that will be discussed in the summit in Osaka will be the economic issues.”

Apart from trade, energy and environment problems will also be discussed, said the former minister. According to Prabhu, “Society 5.0” will also be a major item on the agenda, because of changes in societies around the world. Society 5.0 was endorsed by Japan in the fifth Science and Basic Technology Plan in 2016 as a future society that the country should aspire to. It follows the hunting society (Society 1.0), agricultural society (Society 2.0), industrial society (Society 3.0), and information society (Society 4.0).