Can't Attend G20 Summit in Delhi, Putin Tells PM Modi as They Discuss Global Issues Over Phone Call

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which the latter said that he won’t be able to attend the upcoming G20 Summit in New Delhi.

Putin conveyed his inability to attend the summit on September 9 and 10, and said that the country’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Moscow in his place, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a release.

In the call, PM Modi also thanked Putin for Russia’s consistent support to all initiatives under India’s G20 Presidency.

The two leaders also discussed a number of issues and reviewed progress of the bilateral ties between the two nations, the PMO added.

PM Modi and Putin exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual concern, including the recently concluded BRICS Summit in Johannesburg.

Putin once again, congratulated the prime minister on Chandrayaan-3’s successful landing on the moon. The duo also reaffirmed the willingness of India and Russia to further develop bilateral cooperation in the space exploration.

Apart from this, topical issues of Russian-Indian relations including trade and economic cooperation were discussed. Mutual cooperation to implement large-scale projects in the energy sector were also spoken about.

The two leaders agreed to remain in touch.

G20 Summit in New Delhi

The G20 Summit, of which India is hosting the presidency for the year 2023, is scheduled in Delhi for September 8, 9 and 10. The event is aimed to bring together G20 member countries along with guest nations to participate in discussions about diverse economic reforms.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the Business 20 (B20) Summit India 2023, the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community, in Delhi on Sunday.

The group of G20 countries comprises 19 nations including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union.

Modi-Putin Met Virtually at BRICS

While PM Modi visited South Africa’s Johannesburg for a three-day official visit to attend the 15th BRICS summit, Putin attended it virtually.

Putin was unable to attend the summit in person because of an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine, according to Reuters.