NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the G20 Summit emphasised the importance of the 21st century in finding new solutions to old challenges and called for a human-centric approach to address global challenges.

In his opening remarks at the G20 Summit, being held at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital, PM Modi pointed out that to address global challenges and overcome trust deficits caused by conflicts there is a need to adopt a human-centric approach.

"The 21st century is an important time to show the world a new direction. This is the time when old problems are seeking new solutions from us and that is why we should move ahead fulfilling our responsibilities with a human-centric approach," he said.

"Following the Covid pandemic, the world faced a new challenge of trust deficit and unfortunately, the wars have further deepened this. But we must remember that if we can defeat a pandemic like Covid, we can also win over the challenge of this trust deficit," he said.

PM Modi asserted that the war in Ukraine has resulted in a trust deficit at the global level and called on all the G20 summit leaders to work together.

“Today, as the president of G 20, India calls upon the world together to transform the global trust deficit into one of trust and reliance. This is the time for all of us to move together. In this time, the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas' can be the torchbearer for us,” PM Modi said.

He added, “Be it the divide between North and South, the distance between East and West, management of food and fuel, terrorism, cyber security, health, energy or water security, we will have to find a solid solution to this for future generations."

In a significant development, PM Modi said that the African Union has been made a permanent member of the Group of 20 and invited the AU, represented by Chairperson Azali Assoumani, to take a seat at the table of G20 leaders as a permanent member.

At the start of his address, PM Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in Morocco, which was hit by an earthquake early this morning.

He said, "Before we start the proceedings of G20, I want to express my condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time."

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

The 18th G20 Summit is a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies.

The summit is being attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.

In a recent editorial that has been published across newspapers, PM Modi wrote “The voice of Global South Summit, which witnessed participation from 125 countries, was one of the foremost initiatives under our Presidency. It was an important exercise to gather inputs and ideas from the Global South. Further, our Presidency has not only seen the largest-ever participation from African countries but has also pushed for the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20.”