We’ve good representation of heads of state, govt at G20 Summit: Event chief coordinator on absence of Putin, Xi

New Delhi [India], September 6 : Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping not attending the G20 Summit, G20 Chief Coordinator Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Wednesday that there is good representation of heads of state and government and heads of international organizations at G20 Summit and the deliberations would be productive and constructive.
Shringla expressed confidence that every partner country and invitee country is with India in making the G20 Summit successful, outcome-oriented, decisive and inclusive.
On being asked about President Putin and Xi skipping the summit in New Delhi, Shringla told ANI, “I think we have a very good representation of the heads of the state and the government and heads of international organisations in New Delhi G20 Summit. I think, as I said, the deliberations would be very productive and constructive”.
“I have no doubt that every partner country and invitee country is with us in the endeavour to host the successful, outcome-oriented, decisive, inclusive G20 Summit,” he added.
Notably, President Putin and Xi will be the two notable absentees from the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while speaking at the ‘Doordarshan Dialogue, G20: The India Way’ had also said that the focus should be on the position taken by countries on 'key issues'.
Responding to a query over Putin and 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."
Later, in an exclusive interview with ANI, he said that there have been Presidents or Prime Ministers who for some reason have chosen not to come for global meetings and that country's position is reflected by the representative present on the occasion.
“Not really. I think at different points of time in G20 there have been some presidents or prime ministers who for whatever reason, have chosen not to come themselves but that country, and that country's position is obviously reflected by whoever is the representative on that occasion,” he said.
"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 — Chinese Prime Minister and second in command after Xi Jinping — 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."
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.
Meanwhile, President Putin himself held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his inability to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi and informed that Russia would be represented by the country’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.