G20 Summit 2023: Lunch at Jaipur House, millet field tour at IARI-Pusa among events planned for spouses of heads of state 

An extremely busy itinerary awaits not only the G20 heads of state but also their spouses. Spouses of the participating leaders will be treated to a special lunch at the iconic Jaipur House on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. Among other items, the menu will also include millet-based delicacies.

"They (spouses of heads of states) will be treated to a special lunch at the Jaipur House, and the menu will include millet-based delicacies," a source told PTI. They will also visit the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in Pusa on September 9. Officials have planned a millet tour for the spouses of the heads of state.

Nine millet crops, including jowar (sorghum), bajra (pearl millet), ragi (finger millet), Kodo, samai and kutki, have been planted for their visit. Besides this, they will visit the National Gallery of Modern Art on day one to see a display on India’s art forms, handloom, textiles and many other things.

“The spouses will go to the Agricultural Research Institute in Pusa to see the unique work India has done in the field of millets. They will go to the National Gallery of Modern Art to see a number of displays there on India's art forms and India's handloom, textiles, many other things, but the leaders will remain focused largely on the business and issues of development,” said G20 Sherpa for India, Amitabh Kant in an exclusive conversation with India Today. On September 10, they will visit the Rajghat after the leaders have visited the site.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden’s wife and First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for coronavirus and has reported mild symptoms. “This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19,” FLOTUS’ communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement.

The development comes days ahead of Biden’s India visit for the G20 Summit. Biden will travel to India on September 7 to participate in the G20 Summit and will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 on the sidelines of the summit.

The G20 Leaders’ Summit 2023 will take place from September 9-10 at the Bharat Mandapam in the international convention and exhibition centre at Pragati Maidan. India holds the G20 presidency at present.

US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, Australian PM Anthony Albanese, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Japan PM Fumio Kishida and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will participate in the multinational event. While Russian President Vladimir Putin has not confirmed his presence at the event, Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend. The Chinese delegation at the G20 Summit will be led by Premier Li Qiang.

(With India Today, PTI inputs)

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