Source : WION
While Xi and Putin to skip G20, Biden to reach India two days before summit to meet PM Modi
Washington: At a time when Russian and Chinese presidents have decided to skip the G20 summit in New Delhi, US President Joe Biden will arrive in the Indian capital city, two days in advance to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The White House on Friday (September 1) informed Biden will travel to India on September 7 to attend the summit, scheduled to take place on September 9 and 10.
On September 8, Biden is expected to participate in a bilateral meeting with PM Modi to further strengthen the growing ties between the two countries.
“On Thursday (September 7), the President will travel to New Delhi, India to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. On Friday, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the statement by the White House read.
Among other topics of discussion, the economic and social impacts of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine may also feature heavily in the talks.
“While in New Delhi, the President will also commend Prime Minister Modi’s leadership of the G20 and reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation, including by hosting it in 2026,” it said.
Putin to visit China
Notably, the White House statement came hours after Putin in a televised address, called his Chinese counterpart a ‘friend’, adding that he was planning to visit Beijing soon.
“Quite soon we will have events, and there will be a meeting with the president of the People’s Republic of China,” said Putin, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
“He (Xi) calls me his friend, and I am happy to call him my friend, because he is a person who does a lot for the development of Russian-Chinese relations.”
Earlier this week, Putin announced that he was not travelling to India to attend the G20 summit in person. The Russian leader held a telephonic conversation with PM Modi and cited his ‘busy schedule’ for giving the all-important summit a miss.
Similarly, a day after releasing a controversial map that antagonised the entire neighbourhood, reports claimed that Xi was giving the G20 summit a miss in New Delhi. Premier Li Qiang is expected to represent Beijing at the September 9-10 meeting.
