New Delhi, June 15: India is the only South Asian country that will attend a Swiss-hosted Ukraine peace summit over the weekend at Switzerland’s Buergenstock resort near the city of Lucerne, according to a list of participating states released by the organisers.
More than 90 countries — half from Europe — and organisations including the United Nations, have confirmed their participation in the summit while Russia (not invited), China, and Pakistan are some notable absentees who will not join the talks.
India will be represented by Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Refusing the invitation, China has said, “Since Russia will not attend the meeting, Ukraine’s unilateral attendance of the peace summit will become meaningless.”
Beijing has said that rather than a peace summit, it is a platform for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to promote his “peace formula”.
Notable attendees will include UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US Vice President Kamala Harris, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The summit will aim to chart a path toward peace in Ukraine.
–IANS