Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a phone call on Monday that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will represent Russia at the G20 summit scheduled to be hosted in New Delhi next month.
An official statement from the Indian government indicated that Putin informed Modi that Lavrov would represent Russia at the G20 summit. The Indian Prime Minister expressed his understanding of Russia's decision and thanked President Putin for his country's continued support for all initiatives under India's G20 presidency.
Russia seeks to strengthen its already strong ties with India following the extensive Western sanctions imposed on Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. India is a major buyer of Russian oil.
The two leaders discussed bilateral relations and the planned expansion of the BRICS group, which includes India, Russia, China, Brazil, and South Africa. Modi and Putin participated in the BRICS summit held in South Africa last week, but the Russian president attended via video conference due to an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
