Visakhapatnam: Day 1 of G20 focuses on 'Financing Cities of Tomorrow...'

Visakhapatnam: The discussion of the day-one of the second G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) focused on the flagship priority, 'Financing Cities of Tomorrow: Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable', along with others outlined in the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda.

Started off on a grand note in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, the day-one of the second G20 Infrastructure Working Group (IWG) meeting held under the G20 India Presidency witnessed the attendance of 57 delegates from 14-member countries, eight guest countries and 10 international organisations. Aimed at furthering the discussions on the 2023 Infrastructure Agenda under the Indian G20 Presidency, the G20 IWG meetings discussed various facets of making cities economic centres of growth, financing urban infrastructure, building future-ready urban infrastructure, etc. The meeting also discussed other important themes, such as innovative financing models to scale up private sector investment to address the infrastructure financing gap for creating future cities and discussing the potential application of the quality infrastructure investment (QII) indicators across the infrastructure projects.

On the sidelines of the meeting, a roundtable of international organisations centred on infrastructure taxonomies was held. Over 13 international experts discussed the role of infrastructure definitions and taxonomies in making better data-driven decisions.

The side event witnessed participation of experts from key international organisations such as UNDP, OECD, IMF, ADB and EBRD. Representatives from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), Mexico and the Office for National Statistics, United Kingdom presented case studies on improving national infrastructure spending.

In the evening, the delegates participated in 'ratri bhoj par samvad' (conversation over dinner) that unfurled an opportunity to get soaked in the rich cultural heritage of Andhra Pradesh and relish the local cuisines.

Meanwhile, the delegates had productive meetings and witnessed cultural experiences of Visakhapatnam.

On day-two, the Presidency has planned a 'health retreat' for the delegates on the beachfront. During the retreat, the delegates will be introduced to yoga, meditation and 'satvic' food. Discussions will continue focusing on the rest of the agenda of the IWG summit.