Hiroshima: The Global South is not a terminology but a sentiment, a real concern and the reality of the challenges and the problems, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra commented on the "no mention of Global South" in the G7 joint statement.

During the special briefing on PM Modi's visit to three-nation: Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia, Kwatra, on Saturday, also stated that as a member of the Global South, India is also a voice of the Global South.

"Global South, I would urge you not to dismiss it as terminology. It is a sentiment. It is a real concern. It's a reality of the challenges and the problems. And in all the bilateral meetings that my Prime Minister had today, every leader that he met, spoke about and referred to the challenges of the Global South," Kwatra said.

This statement came after the term "Global South" was not used in the Group of Seven leaders' communique.

In the special briefing, the Foreign Secretary recalled the time in January when Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Global South countries to come together and share their priorities, concerns, interest, challenges, what they expect from G20, and what they expect from the rest of the world.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modiji invited 135 countries of the Global South and 125 countries attended that summit. Voice of Global South, the summit itself was structured around six sessions. There were two leaders-level session bookends opening and closing. And there were ministerial sessions on finance, commerce, environment conservation, and development partnership," Kwatra said.

He further stated, "And here is what came out as the voice of Global South when you say the voice of Global South, in some manner, these are individual voices, but in some manner, this is also a voice of a collective, which is countries of the Global South and the whole objective of the Honorable Prime Minister was to listen to that voice and also, in a way, speak for that voice of course, as a member of Global South, we are one of them, but we are also a voice of Global South."

"Today, PM Modi, at G7 Summit, spoke about the developmental template, when the countries in the Global South spoke, they said that there is a disproportionate impact of conflict in Ukraine on them. Food availability, basic food, raw materials have dried up, fertilizers are too expensive, and oil is not available," Kwatra said.

The Global South states were described as "regional," "willing," and "like-minded" partners with whom the G7 will work to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific, strengthen the international order based on the rule of law, and oppose economic coercion.

Earlier, Japan's senior Foreign Ministry source said, some countries believe the term is condescending, and G7 members are beginning to realise it is not acceptable to put such countries together and this is why the Global South term is not used", The Japan Times reported.

But, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida has mentioned "stronger involvement in the Global South" as a key issue at the summit. He uses the term very often at news conferences.