Former PM Deve Gowda to miss G20 dinner hosted by President Murmu over health reasons

NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Friday informed that he won’t be able to attend the G20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu due to health reasons.

Deve Gowda, who has been invited to the G20 dinner on September 9, said he has communicated his decision to the government and wished the G20 Summit a grand success.

“I will not be attending the G20 dinner organised by the Hon’ble President of India Droupadi Murmuji, on 09 September 2023, due to health reasons. I have already communicated this to the government. I wish the G20 summit a grand success”, the former Prime Minister posted on ‘X’.

I will not be attending the G20 dinner organised by the Hon. President of India Draupadi Murmuji, on 09 September 2023, due to health reasons. I have already communicated this to the government. I wish the G20 summit a grand success. @PMOIndia @rashtrapatibhvn

— H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) September 8, 2023

According to the sources, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also been invited to the G20 Summit dinner.

India is all set to host the G20 Summit in New Delhi from September 9-10. Besides the foreign delegates parliamentarians and ministers in the current Cabinet, the G20 Summit dinner will be attended by some of the former senior leaders of the nation.

US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida are among the key leaders who are going to attend the event in the country’s capital city.

Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be taking part in the weekend summit. China, however, will be represented at the summit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Russia.

This is the first time that the G20 Summit is being hosted by India. Extensive preparations have been under way to portray India’s tradition and strength.

The countries taking part in the G20 Summit include Nigeria, Argentina, Italy, the AU (represented by Comros), and South Africa. Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Japan Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea, Egypt, Australia, the United States, Canada, China, Russia, the UAE, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey Spain, Germany, France, Mexico, the European Union, and Singapore.

A G20 Leaders’ Declaration will be adopted at the end of the G20 Summit, stating the leader’s commitment to the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working groups. India assumed the G20 presidency last year in November, and the next presidency of the G20 will be handed over to Brazil next year, followed by South Africa in 2025. (ANI)