The 215 G20 meetings have been scheduled so that nearly all state capitals and union territories can host at least one significant meeting during India’s G20 Presidency; Srinagar and Leh are also included on this list, in addition to all the Northeastern states.
The months of April-June have been chosen for Srinagar and Leh since they are when the region is most scenic, keeping in mind the weather. According to the informed sources, Srinagar is most likely to host the meeting of the tourism working group in the final week of May, while Leh has been shortlisted for the Youth 20 Inception meeting in April.
Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Pandurang Kundbarao Pole said, “Srinagar is likely to host one of the G20 events for which we are preparing in advance. The administration was sprucing up the city for the event in May as it will go a long way in boosting tourism in Kashmir, while at the same time clearing the misgivings about the situation in the Valley.”
The cities are also being spruced up to receive delegations, and preparations for the security measures are ongoing. Additionally, hotel personnel, tour guides, and emergency care providers are being made aware of this.
The first of the four meetings of the tourism working group will take place next month in the Rann of Kutch, while the second is scheduled for April 3-5 in Siliguri/Darjeeling, according to information released last week by the Ministry of Tourism. The third meeting is scheduled for May 22–24; the venue has not yet been determined.
A curtain-raiser event hosted by the government in November at a resort in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands provided information on logistical preparations for the G20 process to about 40 diplomats and officials from the UN and other international organisations.
During India’s G20 chairmanship, up to 215 meetings would be hosted at 56 different sites. Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates are among the special invitee guests for India, while the European Union and 19 other nations—including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Mexico, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States—make up the membership.
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