In Call With PM Modi, Vladimir Putin Gives G20 Summit A Skip, Says FM Lavrov To Represent Russia

During the call with PM Modi, Putin expressed his inability to attend the G20 summit and informed PM Modi that Russia would be represented by FM Sergey Lavrov.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the crucial G20 summit. During the call, Putin expressed his inability to attend the G20 summit and informed PM Modi that Russia would be represented by FM Sergey Lavrov. "President Putin conveyed his inability to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi on 9-10 September 2023 and informed that Russia would be represented by Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, H.E. Mr. Sergey Lavrov," said the Prime Minister's Office in a statement.

The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues. "The two leaders reviewed progress on a number of issues of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual concern, including the recently concluded BRICS Summit in Johannesburg," said the PMO. 

While expressing an understanding of Russia’s decision, PM Modi thanked President Putin for Russia’s consistent support to all initiatives under India’s G20 Presidency. "The two leaders agreed to remain in touch," said the statement.

The G20 summit will be held in Delhi on September 9 and 10. India assumed the G20 Presidency on December 1 last year. G20 was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues. It was upgraded to the level of Heads of State or Government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007, and, in 2009, was designated the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.