Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is set to attend the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India, from Friday, September 8th, to Sunday. At this annual gathering, global leaders are expected to delve into an extensive agenda that spans from advocating for rule-based multilateralism to discussing sustainable development.
Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced that Mr. Lee received an invitation from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the summit, as India holds the G20 chairmanship for 2023.
Accompanying Prime Minister Lee will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister in the PMO and Second Minister for Finance and National Development Indranee Rajah, as well as officials from their respective ministries.
The PMO stated, “Prime Minister Lee will participate in discussions on the importance of rules-based multilateralism, digital public infrastructure, health, energy transitions, and sustainable development.”
Additionally, during the summit, Mr. Lee will engage in bilateral meetings with other world leaders on the sidelines.
In his absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong will assume the role of Acting Prime Minister.
The G20 comprises 19 major advanced and emerging economies, along with representation from the European Union. The inaugural G20 summit was convened in 2008 in the United States.
Although Singapore is not a G20 member, it has frequently received invitations to participate in G20 summits and associated meetings since 2010. Prime Minister Lee previously attended the G20 summit last November in Bali, Indonesia.
Apart from Singapore, India has extended invitations to Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates to attend this year’s summit.
This year’s summit carries the theme “One Earth, One Family, One Future.” It takes place amid ongoing geopolitical turbulence, escalating tensions between the US and China, as well as the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict that has persisted for approximately a year and a half.
US President Joe Biden has confirmed his attendance at this summit, a notable contrast to his absence from the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held in Jakarta, Indonesia, earlier in the week, which Prime Minister Lee had attended.
China will be represented by its Premier Li Qiang, suggesting that President Xi Jinping will not be in attendance. Notably, President Xi was also absent from the ASEAN Summit.
This likely absence of President Xi in India diminishes prospects for a meeting between him and President Biden. Additionally, it marks the first time a Chinese president has not participated in the G20 Leaders’ Summit since its inaugural session in 2008.
Another prominent G20 figure expected to be missing is Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will be representing Russia at the summit in his place.
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