Russia: Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin has informed Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi that he will not attend the G20 Summit in Delhi next month. India is hosting the 2023 summit, which will be held in the capital, Delhi, from September 9 to 10.
Mr. Putin called Mr. Modi and told him that his Foreign Minister Mr. Sergei Lavrov would attend the summit on his behalf. The two leaders also discussed several “regional and global issues of mutual concern,” India said in a statement.
A Russian government spokesperson recently stated that Mr. Putin would not attend the summit as he had a “busy schedule.” The G20 includes the world’s 19 wealthiest countries plus the European Union. India currently holds the G20 presidency, which rotates annually between members. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is expected to be a talking point at the summit in Delhi, where world leaders including US President Mr. Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Mr. Rishi Sunak will be present.
Last week, Mr. Putin attended the BRICS summit held in Johannesburg via video link to avoid the risk of possible arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC has issued a warrant for Mr. Putin’s arrest, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine.
According to reports, Mr. Modi expressed “an understanding for Russia’s decision” and thanked Mr. Putin for supporting Delhi’s initiatives while it held the G20 presidency.
Russia’s statement did not mention Mr. Putin’s absence at the G20 summit but noted that the two countries had agreed to “closely collaborate in the context of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship,” which starts on January 1, 2024. “The discussion also touched on current issues of Russian-Indian relations, which are developing progressively in the spirit of a specially privileged strategic partnership,” the statement added.
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