If Vladimir Putin arrives at G20, it could generate some tension

NEW DELHI: As the countdown for the upcoming G20 Summit in Delhi in September begins, it has been made clear that it will be an in-person summit only and no hybrid mode will be offered.

While most leaders are expected to attend the summit that will be held on September 9 and 10, the two leaders whose confirmations are most awaited are Russian President, Vladimir Putin and Chinese Premier, Xi Jinping.

"The G20 Summit will be an in-person summit and there will be no offering of a hybrid mode. This means that any leader who may not be able to make it will not be offered a window to speak virtually," said a source.

"Irrespective of leaders' prominence, if any of them decides not to attend the summit in person there will be no provision for them to make a video address. Their representatives, however, will be allowed to attend in person," the source added, while underlining that the same rules were in place during the G20 Summit held in Bali in 2022 November.

Arrangements have been made for all the leaders of member countries and the invitees. Advance teams from most of the member countries have already visited Delhi and recced the facilities that would be utilised during the Summit -- from hotel accommodations, security, transportation and the facilities at the venue of the summit.

Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, on Saturday confirmed his participation at the summit. He is the first leader to do so.

"It is more important than ever that Australia works closely with international partners, including through multilateral economic forums like the G20, to address shared challenges and opportunities. Australia is invested in and committed to the Indo-Pacific to enhance growth and prosperity, stability and respect for sovereignty and lasting peace," said PM Albanese. He will also travel to Indonesia and the Phillippines before coming to Delhi.

"The G20 is the world's preeminent forum for global economic cooperation. Leaders will focus on navigating the global economy back to strong, sustainable and resilient growth," said a readout from PM Albanese's office.

The G20 is a group of 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, UK, US) and the European Union. These nations represent 85 per cent of the global GDP and 75 per cent of the global trade and two-thirds of the population.

The invited nations include Egypt, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore, Bangladesh, UAE, Netherlands, Nigeria and Spain. International organisations like UN, IMF, WHO, WB, WTO, ILO, FSB, OECD, AU, ASEAN are also among those invited.