Rishi Sunak makes ‘historic’ G20 visit to India

BBC News:

Rishi Sunak is flying to Delhi to meet world leaders – becoming the first prime minister of Indian heritage to visit the country.

Downing Street say the “historic” visit will be “a powerful reminder of the living bridge between the two countries”.

Mr Sunak is accompanied by his wife Akshata Murty, who was born and grew up in India and is the daughter of one of India’s richest men.

The visit is for the summit of leaders of the G20 – the 19 biggest economies in the world plus the European Union.

The G20 is something of a diplomatic blancmange. Many of the members of it have very little in common beyond big economies.

But that is the point of it – bringing together those countries that are the engine room of the global economy.

The G20 is a child of the 21st century – conceived in 1999 and growing in stature after the 2008 financial crisis.

It means the discussions within it are often very broad. But the get-together also gives the chance for leaders to get together one-on-one, in what are known as “bilaterals”.

Two of the most powerful men in the world were on the guest list, but aren’t turning up.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin will be missing, for the second year in a row.

“Once again, Vladimir Putin is failing to show his face at the G20,” the prime minister said.

“He is the architect of his own diplomatic exile, isolating himself in his presidential palace and blocking out criticism and reality.

“The rest of the G20, meanwhile, are demonstrating that we will turn up and work together to pick up the pieces of Putin’s destruction.”

But it is more complex than that.

President Xi of China isn’t coming either. And some G20 members are a lot less committed than others to Ukraine.

The hosts, India, for a start, continue to buy lots of oil from Russia.