G20 Summit 2023 Delhi: Spanish President Pedro Sanchez will skip the highly-anticipated G20 Summit scheduled in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 after testing positive for COVID-19, he said on Thursday.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sanchez said, “This afternoon I have tested positive for COVID and will not be able to travel to New Delhi for the G20 Summit. I feel fine.”

He further said that the Spanish delegation at the G20 Summit will now be represented by the First Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation.

Sanchez joins Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping who have confirmed that they will not be participating in the G20 Summit in New Delhi. Over 40 eminent leaders from across the world will participate in the high-level summit to be held in New Delhi’s ITPO Complex in Pragati Maidan

Who are coming?

US President Joe Biden has left for India to attend the G20 Summit, during which he will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Apart from Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Australia’s Anthony Albanese, French President Emmanuel Macron, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are some of the leaders that will arrive soon in New Delhi.

Joe Biden will arrive after testing negative for COVID-19. His wife, First Lady Jill Biden has also tested negative, after a positive report on Monday, as per reports. Japan PM Fumio Kishida will be eceived by Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey at 2:15 pm today.

According to sources, there will be a press conference in the afternoon at Bharat Mandapam on Friday. Three bilateral meetings are also scheduled for today, as per sources.

Meanwhile, India has set the stage to welcome world leaders for the upcoming G20 Summit, with traffic restrictions coming into force in New Delhi from Friday. International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, Maldives Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth,  Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Argentine President Alberto Fernandez have already arrived in Delhi.

India assumed the G20 presidency on December 1 last year and about 200 meetings related to G20 were organized in 60 cities across the country.

The 18th G20 Summit in New Delhi will be a culmination of all the G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year among ministers, senior officials, and civil societies. A G20 Leaders’ declaration will be adopted at the conclusion of the G20 Summit, stating Leaders’ commitment towards the priorities discussed and agreed upon during the respective ministerial and working group meetings.

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