Hyderabad diplomat praised for role in G20 consensus

HYDERABAD: The successful adoption of the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration was aided by Nagaraj Naidu Kakanur, an Indian Foreign Service officer from Hyderabad.

Asked about the experience and the role he played in the tough negotiations that ran into many rounds with diplomats from other G20 nations, Kakanur told Deccan Chronicle “We all did it for the country, I just did my job.”

Kakanur, along with his IFS Delhi colleague Eenam Gambhir, received high praise from Amitabh Kant, India’s ‘sherpa’ at the G20 Summit.

On Sunday morning, Kant, a former CEO of Niti Aayog, posted on X (formerly Twitter): “The most complex part of the entire #G20 was to bring consensus on the geopolitical paras (Russia-Ukraine). This was done over 200 hours of non-stop negotiations, 300 bilateral meetings, and 15 drafts. In this, I was greatly assisted by two brilliant officers - @NagNaidu08 & @eenamg.”

Kakanur is an alumnus of St Patrick's School’s 1990 batch. He earned his undergraduate degree from Nizam College in Arts in 1995. After qualifying for IFS, he studied at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA, and earned his degree in Law and Diplomacy in 2008.

Currently working as a joint secretary, he speaks fluent Chinese (Mandarin) and served at the Indian Embassy in Beijing and the Indian Consulate in Hong Kong. He also served as the chef de cabinet to the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The success of India in achieving a consensus over a tricky subject was a topic of note for Dr Cristina Vanberghen, a senior expert at the European Union Commission, who posted on X: “We have a Declaration! In a world full of injustices & inequalities, #India takes the lead in forging consensus! As a global citizen, I feel good!... #NewDelhiLeadersDeclaration focuses on strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth…”

Constantino Xavier, a fellow in Foreign Policy and Security Studies at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress in New Delhi, said: “Delhi’s diplomatic prowess in full display today: crafting a G20 consensus declaration despite extraordinary political fissures. Something in there for everyone to claim as a win.”