Putin dials PM Modi, says Foreign Minister Lavrov to represent Russia at G20 Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday that he would be unable to come to India to attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

Putin said Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the summit which will be held on September 9 and 10.

PM Modi expressed an understanding of Russia’s decision and thanked Vladimir Putin for the country’s consistent support for the initiatives under India’s G20 Presidency.

The two leaders reviewed progress on a number of issues of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and global matters of mutual concern, including the recently concluded BRICS Summit in Johannesburg. After conversing over the bilateral issues, they agreed to remain in touch.

Putin had skipped the BRICS Summit as well, and attended it through a video link. He risks arrest when travelling abroad after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant against him saying he committed war crimes in Ukraine.