By Katya Golubkova
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the G20 summit in India a success and said that due to the consolidated position of the countries of the global south, Russia managed to ensure the G20 agenda was not overshadowed by the Ukraine conflict.
The Group of 20 adopted a consensus declaration at a summit on Saturday that avoided condemning Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states not to use force to grab territory.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has left tens of thousands dead, displaced millions and sown economic turmoil across the world. Moscow, which says it is conducting a “special military operation” there, denies committing any atrocities.
Lavrov also said the Russia was willing to return to the Black Sea grain deal as soon as its conditions are met.
Russia quit the deal in July, a year after it was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, complaining that its own food and fertiliser exports faced obstacles and insufficient Ukrainian grain was going to countries in need.
Lavrov said Russia values the attempts by the United Nations to facilitate grain talks but called it “west only talks”.
(Writing by Swati Bhat, Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Kim Coghill)
