Aha Dua Permata: West Fails to Make Ukraine Key Topic at G20 Summit

Sunday 10 September 2023

West Fails to Make Ukraine Key Topic at G20 Summit - Lavrov

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The G20 Summit is taking place in New Delhi on September 9-10 in a face-to-face format. Russia is represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Western countries failed to "Ukrainianize" the agenda of the G20 summit.

"Largely due to such a consolidated position of the global South in defense of its legitimate interests, it was possible to prevent the success of the West's attempt to Ukrainianize the entire agenda again to the detriment of the discussion of urgent tasks of developing countries," the minister said after the G20 summit in New Delhi.

Russia was not mentioned in any clause of the G20 final declaration, the top Russian diplomat added.

G20 Summit Becomes Success As Group Undergoing Internal Reform

The G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi has become a success, while the Group is undergoing an internal reform, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday.

"The summit is an unconditional success, for the Indian presidency, for all of us. The G20 is undergoing an internal reform. This was reflected in the significant activation of G20 members representing the Global South," Lavrov said during the press conference.

He also noted that the G20 summit in India will provide a positive impetus to the reform of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organization.

"The summit, of course, will give a very serious impetus, a positive impetus to reform of both the IMF and the World Trade Organization," the minister said.

He added that if quotas and votes are divided fairly within the IMF, the United States will lose its veto power.

Lavrov also praised India's work on the G20 final declaration.

Resumption of Black Sea Grain Initiative

Russia appreciates the United Nations' efforts to restore the grain deal, but they are doomed to failure if the West keeps making empty promises to fulfill obligations toward Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Sunday.

"We appreciate the efforts that [UN Secretary-General] Antonio Guterres is making... But these efforts are all doomed to failure in the situation when the West only makes promises. And this forced Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Mr. [Farhan] Haq to admit at a press conference the other day that the Secretariat, through its efforts, in no way violates the sanctions regime illegally imposed against Russia," Lavrov said at the end of the G20 Summit in New Delhi.

The resumption of Russia's participation in the grain deal is possible, but only if all its demands are met, including unblocking of agricultural exports, the top Russian diplomat added.

India has been chairing the G20 since December 1, 2022. The top-level summit in New Delhi from Saturday to Sunday gathered the 20 member states as well as nine other nations, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Spain, Mauritius, Nigeria, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Singapore. Russia is represented at the summit by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and China by Premier Li Qiang.