The year is proving to be possibly the busiest and best ever for Indian foreign policy.
Building on the presidency of the United Nations Security Council in December, India hosted the online Global South summit in January, participated in the Group of Seven and "the Quad" summits in Japan in May, hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in July and has just finished hosting the Group of 20 summit where it successfully bridged the gap in differing perspectives on Ukraine to draft a joint declaration acceptable to all sides.
The willingness of the G7 members of the G20 to agree to the markedly softer statement was testament more to their desire to ensure a diplomatic triumph for India with an eye to China than evidence of going back on their strong condemnation of Russia. The announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor on the sidelines of the G20 meeting too was interpreted as a counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. And the induction of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 further consolidated India’s pivotal role in the Global South that should enhance its diplomatic credentials for Western partners.