Today is the second day of the G20 meeting in the Indian-administered Kashmir city of Srinagar, which continued till May 24, and tight security arrangements have been made across the city.
According to India Today, the delegates who came to attend the meeting were welcomed in traditional Indian style. At the time of the arrival of the delegates, local artists also performed at the Srinagar Airport.
The meeting started with a side programme on ‘Film Tourism, Economic Growth, and Cultural Preservation’.
“We have received a very good response, and 61 delegates from different countries have arrived,” Sherpa Amitabh Kant, head of the committee organising the meeting, told reporters.
To avoid any untoward incident, tight security arrangements have been made across the city, and the local police are assisted by the National Security Guard and commandos.
The roads leading to the Sher Kashmir International Convention Centre, where the meeting is being held, have been closed, and the surrounding area has been declared a no-go zone for three days.
Similarly, a heavy contingent of forces has also been deployed at various locations, from the airport to the Kashmir centre.
Sherpa Amitabh Kant, ignoring the non-participation of the Chinese delegation, said that it does not matter much; tourism is a private sector activity, and delegations from several countries are participating in it.
Indian officials say that it is not necessary that all the invited countries attend the meeting.
On the occasion of the meeting, the Union Minister of the state, Jitendra Singh, said that organising the G20 meeting in Srinagar is an achievement.
It should be noted that China has boycotted the meeting, calling Srinagar a ‘controversial place’.
On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that “China will oppose any G20 meeting that takes place in a disputed location and will not participate in it.”
