Russian President Vladimir Putin has informed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will not attend the G20 Summit next month in Delhi.
This year’s summit will be held in the Indian city of Delhi from September 9 to 10.
Mr. Putin called Mr. Modi and informed him that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would represent him at the conference.
India disclosed that the two leaders also addressed “regional and global issues of mutual concern.
Mr. Putin, according to a Russian government official, would not attend the summit due to a “busy schedule.”
The G20 consists of the world’s 19 wealthiest countries as well as the European Union. India presently holds the G20 presidency, which rotates between members on a yearly basis.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is set to be a topic of discussion at the summit in Delhi, which will be attended by international leaders including US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Mr. Putin attended the Brics meeting (Brics is an abbreviation for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) via video connection last week to avoid the prospect of detention by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Putin, accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine.
India said in a statement on Monday that Mr. Modi expressed “understanding for Russia’s decision” and thanked Mr. Putin for supporting Delhi’s initiatives during its G20 chairmanship.
Mr. Putin’s absence from the G20 conference was not mentioned in Russia’s statement, but the two nations agreed to “closely collaborate in the context of Russia’s BRICS chairmanship,” which begins on January 1 next year.
“The discussion also touched on current issues in Russian-Indian relations, which are developing progressively in the spirit of a specially privileged strategic partnership,” the statement reads.
