Erdogan Comments on Putin's Decision Not to Attend G20 Summit

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has stated that he considers the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the G20 summit in Indonesia to be appropriate, but he emphasized that it is up to the Russian leader to make that decision, which he believes should not be discussed.

Earlier, the Russian Foreign Ministry informed RIA Novosti that the Russian delegation at the G20 summit would be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The G20 is the main forum for international economic cooperation, accounting for nearly 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world's population. This year, the G20 summit will take place in Bali on November 15-16.

“In fact, during my last negotiations with him (Vladimir Putin), I told him that I believe his visit to Indonesia could be valued. Then they (the Russian side) decided that the foreign minister would come to Indonesia… Regarding his decision not to attend the summit, Mr. Putin has clearly consulted with his team and ultimately made such a decision. It would be disrespectful to evaluate this issue in relation to him and his team,” Erdogan told reporters on the plane after returning from Uzbekistan.