Top US diplomat Antony Blinken said Wednesday he had no plans to meet his Russian or Chinese counterparts at a G20 foreign ministers' meeting, as Ukraine and China tensions overshadow attempts by host India to forge unity among the world's biggest economies. The gathering in New Delhi on Thursday will be the first time US Secretary of State Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have been in the same room since a G20 meeting in Bali last July. "If Russia... were genuinely prepared to engage in meaningful diplomacy necessary to end the aggression, of course we'd be the first to work to engage, but there's zero evidence of that," Blinken told reporters ahead of his Wednesday arrival in New Delhi. The G20 foreign ministers meeting is scheduled to take place in physical format in New Delhi under India's presidency. Representatives of 40 countries, including non-G20 members invited by India, and multilateral organizations will attend. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the foreign ministers of the member countries of G20 and he will talk about India's growing influence globally. The foreign ministers meeting is one of the most significant G20 meetings. The G20 foreign ministers meeting is taking place days after a gathering of finance ministers and the Central Bank Governors of the G20 member countries in Bengaluru failed to come out with a joint communique over sharp differences between the Western powers and Russia-China combine over the Ukraine conflict. The foreign ministers are also likely to discuss ways to deal with falling economic growth, increasing inflation, lower demands for goods and services as well as increasing prices of food, fuel and fertilizers. A day ahead of a crucial G20 meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday evening hosted a welcome dinner for the foreign ministers attending the deliberations but the reception was missed by his counterparts from the US, China, Germany and France. Blinken, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and France's Catherine Colonna had not landed in Delhi when the reception began at a luxury hotel in Delhi. Russia, meanwhile, said on Wednesday it would only agree to extend the Black Sea grain deal, which allows grain to be safely exported from Ukrainian ports, if the interests of its own agricultural producers are taken into account. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last year, expires on March 18 and cannot be extended unless all parties agree. Russia has already signaled it is unhappy with aspects of the deal. Russia's agricultural exports have not been explicitly targeted by Western sanctions, but Moscow says restrictions on its payments, logistics and insurance industries are a "barrier" to it being able to export its own grains and fertilizers. Moscow's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Foreign Minister -Lavrov had discussed the prospects for renewing the deal at a meeting with his Turkish counterpart on the sidelines of the G20 in New Delhi. "(The) Russian side stressed that continuing the package agreement on grain is possible only if the interests of Russian agricultural and fertilizer producers in terms of unhindered access to world markets are taken into account," the ministry said in a statement. State Department Spokesperson Zed Tarar said on Wednesday that the motive of G20 is to bring all big economies together at one table and discuss how the countries can grow. "The main motive of G20 is to bring all big economies together at one table and discuss how the countries can grow and deliberate on various other issues of the world," he said while talking to ANI. Talking about Indo-Pacific, Tarar said, "We have to keep our relationship strong with Indo-Pacific. We have to work together. The US government is working towards making policy for the public." Also a Russian Foreign Ministry official said Lavrov was aiming to meet at least seven foreign ministers before the welcome dinner on Wednesday for delegates from 40 countries. India on Wednesday highlighted the use of crypto-currencies in spreading terrorism across nations and asserted that crypto will form one constituent of countering terrorism at the G20 deliberations. Speaking at a special briefing on G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, "What we expect from tomorrow's meet is a clear, strong all-encompassing message on the problem of terrorism on its challenges and the need for the G20 countries to come together to fight, address and defeat it comprehensively. Naturally, crypto will form one constituent of it." During the meeting Thursday, Jaishankar will be chairing two session of the foreign ministries meeting. First session will focus on multilateralism, issues related to food and energy. Second session will focus on four or five key issues including new and emerging threats includes counter terrorism and narcotics, global skill mapping, focus on global talent pools. — Agencies
