New Delhi:
Some of the world’s most powerful and influential leaders will gather in New Delhi to attend the G20 Summit this weekend. US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and other heads of state will hold discussions on geopolitical tensions, economic slowdowns, and rising food and energy prices at one of the most important global gatherings of the year.
Here is a look at who is attending and who is not:
Confirmed G20 Attendees
Joe Biden today confirmed that he is on his way to New Delhi and will attend the G20 Summit. Biden intends to discuss the social impact of the war in Ukraine, the clean energy transition, the fight against climate change, and increasing the capacity of multilateral banks to fight poverty.
Rishi Sunak will attend the Summit in New Delhi on his first official trip to India as Britain’s prime minister.
Fumio Kishida, Japan Prime Minister, has confirmed his attendance and as a current chair of the G7 is likely to lead criticism against Russia for the Ukraine war.
Justin Trudeau, Canada PM, is currently in Indonesia, but will be in India on September 9 and 10 for the G20 Summit, his office confirmed.
Emmanuel Macron, French President, will attend the summit and is also expected to hold bilateral talks with PM Modi on the sidelines.
Anthony Albanese, Australia Prime Minister, will attend the summit as part of a three-country tour that includes India, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, will be in New Delhi and has said the summit remains important despite the absence of Russia and China.
Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea President, is likely to urge leaders at the Summit to respond to North Korea’s nuclear threats and missile provocations.
Cyril Ramaphosa – South Africa President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan – Turkey President
Who will be absent
Xi Jinping will be among the most notable absentees at the Summit. In his absence, the Chinese Premier of The State Council, Li Qiang, will lead the country’s delegation. This will be the first time that a Chinese president has missed a G20 leaders’ summit since the first edition was held in 2008.
Vladimir Putin will also be giving the G20 Summit a miss this year. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for the Russian President accusing him of war crimes in Ukraine, something the Kremlin strongly denies. This means he risks arrest when travelling abroad. Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will represent the country in New Delhi.
Pedro Sanchez, Spain President, announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and will not be able to attend the G20 Summit.
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Mexico President will not be attending the mega event.
Non G20 members who will be attending the New Delhi Summit
In addition to G20 members, India has invited the leaders of Bangladesh, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Summit will also see the participation of top administrators from international organisations such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank.
