Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar reiterated New Delhi’s position on Ukraine’s potential participation in the upcoming G20 Summit in September.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Jaishankar stated that Ukraine had not been extended an invitation to the high-profile gathering of leaders of the world’s major economies, which includes Russia, a permanent member of the G20.
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The foreign minister said that in addition to G20 member states, India had sent invitations to Spain, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mauritius, Egypt, the Netherlands, Oman, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates, EFE news agency reported.
Jaishankar explained that India’s position on Ukraine’s participation is due to the fact that the G20 is primarily focused on fostering growth and development, leaving matters of conflict resolution to be addressed at the UN Security Council.
He also noted that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously engaged with his Ukrainian counterpart on numerous occasions, underlining the “robust” relations between the two nations across various domains.
In June, Jaishankar said that India was not planning to invite Ukraine to the summit, pointing out that the list of invitees was declared “as soon as we assumed the G20 presidency” in December last year. “It is not something that we have reviewed and it is not something very honestly which we have discussed with anybody.”
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Kiev officials responded to New Delhi’s remarks, saying they have been working “along with [their] partners” on securing an invitation for the summit. Ukraine was invited to take part in the previous G20 Summit in Indonesia.
“We believe that what the Russian Federation has done to put an end to the [Black Sea] Grain Agreement is a significant challenge not just for countries in Africa and Asia, but for economies around the world. That’s why we are working together with our partners – with India and other partners… to be invited,” Nikolay Tochitsky, Ukraine’s deputy minister of foreign affairs, said.
The G20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the US, UK, and EU. Its member states combined represent 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.