Shillong, September 8: India downplayed concerns over Chinese President Xi Jinping’s absence from the G20 summit and potential disruptions caused by the Ukraine conflict.
During a pre-G20 summit press conference, G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant emphasized that India’s presidency of the grouping had successfully united all nations for the summit over the next two days.
As per IANS, Kant noted that China, as a multilateral player, approaches discussions differently from bilateral issues. In multilateral settings, consensus is essential since every nation holds veto power. Kant highlighted their achievement in bringing every country on board for the summit.
Addressing the question of whether the Ukraine conflict could disrupt the G20 summit, the Sherpa stated that the G20 primarily serves as a forum for discussing growth and development issues.
However, he mentioned that, as seen in the previous Bali summit, discussions about war and conflict’s economic impact might arise. Still, the final agenda would depend on the leaders’ decisions. Kant emphasized that once the leaders discuss such matters, he can provide further insights.