Tengku Zafrul to speak at inaugural session of Voice of Global South Summit

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 (Bernama) -- Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz is scheduled to deliver a speech at the inaugural Voice of Global South Summit, a special virtual summit hosted by India today. 

The Indian High Commission here said in a statement that Tengku Zafrul will speak at the Commerce and Trade Ministers’ Session on "Developing Synergies in the Global South - Trade, Technology, Tourism and Resources” at 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm Malaysia Time.

“The Commerce and Trade Ministers’ Session will have participation from 14 countries including a keynote address by Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, besides speeches by Trade and Commerce Ministers from Benin, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Myanmar, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Timor-Leste.

“There will be four other ministerial sessions on Energy, Education, Health and G-20 respectively followed by a concluding session led by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi,” said the statement. 

  The Voice of Global South Summit was launched yesterday (Jan 12) by Modi and leaders from 10 countries, namely Bangladesh, Cambodia, Guyana, Mongolia, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Senegal, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. 

Besides the inaugural session, three ministerial sessions were held yesterday namely Finance Ministers’ Session on "Financing People-Centric Development” and  Environment Ministers’ Session on "Balancing Growth with Environment Friendly Lifestyles (LiFE)” participated by 15 countries, respectively.

“There was also a Foreign Ministers’ Session on "Priorities of the Global South - Ensuring a Conducive Environment” participated by 14 countries,” it added.  

The statement said in line with Modi’s statement India’s G20 Presidency will be shaped in consultation with not just G20 partners, but also fellow-travellers in the Global South, whose voice often goes unheard.

India will work to ensure that the valuable inputs generated from partner countries in the Voice of Global South Summit deliberations receive due cognisance globally. 

-- BERNAMA