Nearly 1,000 delegates from 70 countries arrive to attend Bharat Summit in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Nov 12 (TNT): Nearly 1,000 delegates from around 70 countries have arrived in Hyderabad for the second Bharat Summit, which will be held on November 13 and 14, bringing together political leaders, policymakers and intellectuals to discuss global challenges and explore avenues for international cooperation.
The international delegates were welcomed by Telangana hosts with traditional music and dance at a dinner hosted here on Thursday evening.
The delegates also visited stalls showcasing Telangana handicrafts and interacted with their hosts ahead of the formal deliberations.
Salman Khurshid, Chairman of the Congress International Affairs Department, welcomed the delegates and stressed the need for progressive forces across the world to unite in the face of major socio-political changes.
Former diplomat and MP Shashi Tharoor, welcoming representatives from the Global North and Global South, said international cooperation was crucial at a time when democracy was under threat and the world was at a crossroads.
Referring to former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s role in shaping India’s independent foreign policy and the voice of newly independent nations in the post-war era, Tharoor recalled Nehru’s response to a US diplomat who asked whether India was with or against them.
His reply, “Yes”, reflected India’s position of supporting others when it agreed with them and opposing them when it disagreed, he said.
Telangana Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu said Hyderabad was proud to host an international gathering of intellectuals and expressed confidence that the deliberations would contribute to building a better world.
The summit is being attended by senators, intellectuals and serving and former ministers from several countries, including the USA, Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Portugal and the Netherlands, besides representatives of the European Union and Côte d’Ivoire.
Hosted by the Telangana government under the theme “Forging a New World”, the two-day summit will feature plenary sessions and panel discussions on South-South cooperation, climate change, artificial intelligence, the future of media and reforms in multilateral institutions.
The summit aims to bring together liberal and progressive leaders, policymakers and thinkers from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas to identify common concerns and explore possibilities for coordinated international action.
TNT TS
