President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo passed the baton of the Group of 20 presidency to India this week, ushering in the next stage of a four-year period of emerging economies chairing the group, as experts stress the importance of continuity and follow-through in G20 policy.

In a ceremony at the end of the two-day G20 Leaders’ Summit in Bali on Wednesday, Jokowi handed the chairman’s gavel over to Indian President Narendra Modi, who will chair next year’s G20 meetings.

“I want to extend my congratulations to India, which will take over the next G20 presidency. The mandate to safeguard and realize global recovery and strong and inclusive growth will now rest in the hands of His Excellency Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Jokowi said.

“I am certain that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the G20 will continue to move forward. Next year, Indonesia is ready to support India’s G20 presidency.”

As the outgoing chair, Indonesia was the first of a run of G20 presidents from the world of emerging economies. Incoming chair India, its successor Brazil and the following president South Africa, which takes over the presidency in 2025, will complete the series.

The ceremony comes at the end of a summit that saw G20 leaders come together to issue the Bali Declaration, following days of wrangling over how best to address the Russian war in Ukraine, which has significantly impacted the global economic recovery.

During its presidency, Indonesia had faced pressure from the West to ostracize Russia. But the country sought to keep its G20 agenda on track by highlighting the multiple “concrete deliverables” that had been achieved throughout the year, including the establishment of a fund to prepare for future pandemics, assistance for low-income countries and institutional support for a just energy transition.

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