G20 - PM Narendra Modi in Brisbane: As it happened

Brisbane: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the G20 Summit in the Australian city of Brisbane on Saturday. Here are the live updates:

3:30 pm: Akbaruddin, meanwhile, said that PM Narendra Modi did not raise the issue of Chinese soldiers allegedly training Pakistani Army troops right across the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir. “PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping this morning; however, PM's attention wasn't drawn to any such issue by the NSA,” Akbaruddin told reporters. He added that NSA is monitoring the situation and that media reports may or may not be true.

3:23 pm: In his meetings with French President Francois Hollande and Canadian PM Stephen Harper, PM Modi received invitations and expressed his keenness to visit their countries at the earliest – MEA spokesperson.   

3:22 pm: PM Modi outlined his personal vision based on his experience and his thinking on how he is going to take forward the reform process in India – Akbaruddin

3:15 pm: In his intervention at the G20 Retreat, PM Modi focussed on reforms stressing that they need to be people-centric and people-driven - Akbaruddin

3:12 pm: In his intervention at the BRICS meet, the PM focussed on job creation, India's view on climate change, restructuring of global economic order, reforms etc – MEA spokesperson

3:10 pm: At the closed-door BRICS meet, PM Modi said that repatriation of unaccounted money was a key priority for his government, according to Akbaruddin.

3:05 pm: MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin is briefing the press on PM Modi's engagaments on the first day of the G20 Summit.

2:10 pm: G20 leaders have vowed to do all they can to "extinguish" the deadly Ebola outbreak in west Africa. A statement issued by G20 leaders during their summit in Brisbane said, "G20 members are committed to do what is necessary to ensure the international effort can extinguish the outbreak and address its medium-term economic and humanitarian costs."

2:05 pm: PM Narendra Modi meets Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. Modi told Harper that “good relations with Canada are a priority for India”.  

PM @narendramodi meets Rt. Hon. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada pic.twitter.com/6zNfreCFVa

— PIB India (@PIB_India) November 15, 2014

A Special Australian Welcome for PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/MFYgy5cGT3

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) November 15, 2014

On the high table. PM @narendramodi attends first formal session of G-20 in Brisbane. pic.twitter.com/7WxZKavkUh

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) November 15, 2014

The BBQ lunch with @narendramodi and @BarackObama was an opportunity for #G20 Leaders to talk in a relaxed atmosphere pic.twitter.com/zxYcUa28et

— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) November 15, 2014

The PM shared with @TonyAbbottMHR & @BarackObama the story of Walter Burley Griffin, the renowned architect. pic.twitter.com/Xbeby15q8a

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 15, 2014

Walter Burley Griffin, the well known American architect designed Canberra. His final resting place is at Lucknow Christian Cemetery.

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 15, 2014

11:10 am: The G20 Summit has opened at Queensland Parliament in Brisbane in the midst of an abnormal heat wave. A series of localised security shutdowns are also underway in the Queensland capital.

11:00 am: G20 Summit has begun in Brisbane. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott welcomed PM Narendra Modi to the G20 Summit.  

PM @narendramodi greeted by Australian PM Tony Abbott at the Opening Ceremony of the G20 summit in Brisbane pic.twitter.com/HOPuJULttL

— PIB India (@PIB_India) November 15, 2014

Focus on global issues. PM @narendramodi in discussions with Prez @BarackObama & @KremlinRussia_E at #G-20 Summit pic.twitter.com/GUp9Wqqg9g

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) November 15, 2014

10:10 am: Success against global terror is within reach if States adopt common strategy, PM Modi tells President Hollande.  

9:50 am: PM Modi met French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the G20 Summit here. While saying they were keen to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, the duo expressed hope that they will meet in Paris next year.

PM @narendramodi met President Hollande. pic.twitter.com/016OHTpDKA

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 15, 2014

PM with President Zuma of South Africa. pic.twitter.com/WmALWK4Vtd

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 15, 2014

9:30 am: Reform must be technology driven. It must have scale and address root causes, PM Modi says in his concluding remarks at G20 Retreat.

Reforms should lead to simplification of processes......& processes of governance must be reformed - PM @narendramodi to G-20.

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) November 15, 2014

Reform is a continuous multi-stage process... must be institutionalized - PM @narendramodi to G-20 during retreat.

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) November 15, 2014

9:10 am: Globally, reforms are handicapped with perception of being government programmes, a burden on the people; this needs to change: PM Modi to G20 leaders at Retreat

9:00 am: PM Modi has told the world leaders at the G20 Retreat that reform must be people-centric and people-driven. MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted quoting PM Modi that “reform has to be driven by the people... (it) cannot be by stealth”. He further quoted PM as telling G20 leaders that “reform is bound to face resistance... (but it) must be insulated from political pressures”.

Reform is bound to face resistance..... must be insulated from political pressures - PM @narendramodi to G-20 during Retreat.

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) November 15, 2014

8:30 am: At the G20 Summit due to begin in Brisbane today, boosting global economic growth, encouraging private sector investment in infrastructure, and cracking down on multinational companies which avoid tax will be the top issues on the agenda. Australian Treasure Joe Hockey said today, "We have set an ambitious target of the two percent (over the next five years) and we will strive damn hard to achieve that target and there is a positive plan that comes out of that." Hockey added that in relation to infrastructure, Hockey said it was at the G20 finance ministers meeting that member states decided to fund the massive infrastructure needed around the world over the next few decades through a better partnership with the private sector.

BRICS leaders meet ahead of G-20 Summit in Brisbane. pic.twitter.com/4ypV3KK6Tv

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) November 15, 2014

8:00 am: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called for the repatriation of unaccounted money kept abroad, saying it is a key priority for his government. The PM was speaking at a meeting of BRICS nations ahead of the G20 Summit in Brisbane. PM called for "close coordination on unaccounted money kept abroad", saying the same is also linked to security challenges.

PM meets the President of Brazil, Ms. Dilma Rousseff @dilmabr ahead of G-20 Summit, in Brisbane, #Australia pic.twitter.com/L2rv2MX7FP

— PIB India (@PIB_India) November 15, 2014

A quick chat before the meetings begin . PM @narendramodi with @KremlinRussia_E pic.twitter.com/sbZ3TQQ8Lt

— Syed Akbaruddin (@MEAIndia) November 15, 2014

PM @narendramodi with President Xi Jinping of China. pic.twitter.com/mr8unRmrop

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 15, 2014

Namaste! Leaving for my first programme, the Informal BRICS meeting. pic.twitter.com/eDRdEOIujg

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 14, 2014