India, Saudi Arabia resolve incorrect map issue ahead of G20 Summit

India Today | New Delhi

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

India and Saudi Arabia have resolved the issue of the wrongful depiction of India’s territorial boundaries on the 20 Riyal banknote that was introduced to commemorate the Kingdom’s presidency of the G20 summit.

India Today TV learnt that the currency has been “withdrawn” and the printing of it has been “stopped”.

Saudi Arabia swiftly moved to handle the issue after Indian envoy to Riyadh Ambassador Ausaf Sayeed, on October 28, lodged a protest against the wrongful depiction of India's external boundaries on the map printed on the 20 Riyal banknote. The map excluded the undivided Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from India.

The new banknote featured King Salman and the G20 Saudi summit logo on one side, with a world map highlighting G20 co The map showed the whole of Jammu and Kashmir, including Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) which includes Gilgit-Baltistan, as a separate territory altogether.

Addressing a media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “We had taken up the matter of incorrect depiction of the Indian boundaries with the Saudi authorities and we have taken it up both here in New Delhi as well as in Riyadh. We have been informed by the Saudi authorities that they have noted our concerns in this matter.”

Sources told India Today TV that the matter has been handled and the currency which was meant to b The 15th G20 Summit chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the theme "Realising the Opportunities of 21st Century for All” will be held on November 21 and 22. The meeting will be held in a virtual format.

“The upcoming summit is the second G20 Leaders’ meeting in 2020. Following the telephonic conversation between PM and Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the last G20 Extraordinary Leaders’ summit was held in March 2020, where the leaders developed a timely understanding among the G20 countries to help contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and to forge a globally coordinated response,” said a statement released by MEA.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the summit where the focus will be on “an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable recovery from the COVID-19.”

“During the G20 Summit, the leaders will discuss pandemic preparedness and ways and means to restore jobs. The leaders will also share their vision for building an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient future,” said the MEA statement.

India will enter the G20 Troika, along with Saudi Arabia when Italy will take over the Presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2020.

The G20 Troika is a three-member country committee chaired by the previous, current and future summit presidency. In the current case, it is the 2019 presidency of Japan, 2020 presidency of Saudi Arabia, and the future summit Presidency of Italy in 2021.

With India taking over the presidency in 2022, the troika would comprise Saudi Arabia, Italy and India.

A G20 press release had said that the Troika was established to ensure that previous, current and subsequent G20 presidencies work hand-in-hand to achieve consistency and continuity of the group’s agenda.