G20 Summit: EAM Jaishankar Responds To Leaders' Absence, Says 'Focus Will Be On ...'

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New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that rather than focusing on some leaders planning to skip the G20 Summit, the focus should be on the position taken by countries on 'key issues'. Jaishankar was speaking at the Doordarshan Dialogue, G20: The India Way. He said that every G20 member in the coming meeting will make a contribution to global politics. 

Responding to a query over Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping skipping the G20 summit and its impact on the role of India playing the bridge between North and South in this growing polarization, Jaishankar said, "At the end of the day countries are represented by whoever they have chosen to represent them so the levels of representations do not become the final determinant of the position of a country." 

"So I would say rather than focus necessarily on which country chose to come at what level, the real issue is what position they take when they come. That's really what it is we will remember about this G20 for the outcomes it produced," he added. 

On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China announced that Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India on September 9 and 10. Quoting foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, the statement read, "At the invitation of the government of the Republic of India, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang will attend the 18th G20 Summit to be held in New Delhi, India, on September 9 and 10."However, no reason was given in the statement about Xi's absence from the summit. 

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin also said that he would not attend the summit in India. According to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry, instead of Putin, Lavrov will attend the summit and is expected to attend two plenary sessions on September 9 and 10. Lavrov is scheduled to hold several bilateral talks and contacts on the sidelines of the summit. 

In his comments on Doordarshan, Jaishankar also said, "I'm very confident you know whatever the levels of representation that every G20 member will come to this meeting very seriously in the mode that they have to make their contribution to what is an important inflection point today in global politics."