India's foreign minister says it's not unusual for Xi and Putin to be absent

According to Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the absence of China's President Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin from this week's G20 summit in New Delhi is not unusual and unrelated to India, as he conveyed to the ANI news agency.

Jaishankar explained that the Sherpas from G20 countries are currently in negotiations, working towards consensus and the formulation of a declaration for the upcoming September 9-10 summit in New Delhi. The interview was broadcasted on Wednesday.

He responded to questions about whether Putin and Xi's decision to skip the summit was due to any grievances with India, stating, "No, no. I do not think it has anything to do with India." He further emphasized that their absence and any decisions they make are best understood by them, and he does not interpret it in the suggested manner.

When asked about the potential impact of their absence on consensus-building and the summit's declaration, Jaishankar explained, "We are currently in negotiations... the clock did not start ticking yesterday."

However, he acknowledged that the expectations for the G20 are "very high," and New Delhi faces the challenge of navigating a "very difficult world" grappling with the effects of the pandemic, conflicts, climate change, debt, and politics.

The G20 comprises the world's 20 major economies, and its leaders aim to address some of the world's pressing issues. Nevertheless, a significant geopolitical divide related to the war in Ukraine poses a threat to any progress.

Analysts and officials have suggested that the absence of Putin and Xi, along with divisions over the war, may hinder the achievement of a consensus Leaders Declaration at the summit.

The White House announced on Tuesday that U.S. President Joe Biden will prioritize reforming the World Bank and encouraging other multilateral development banks to increase lending for climate change and infrastructure projects during the summit.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his hope to discuss digital issues and food security at the summit, while India has indicated that discussions are ongoing regarding a global framework for regulating crypto assets.