Spain’s President tests positive for COVID-19, to skip G20 Summit in New Delhi

Spain's President Pedro Sánchez on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and will skip the G20 Summit scheduled to take place in India

Madrid: Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and will skip the G20 Summit scheduled to take place in India.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sánchez 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.”

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Spain at the G20 Summit will be represented by the First Vice President Nadia Calvino and Minister of Economic Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, he added. Sánchez the third world leader to have pulled out of the G20 Summit. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin are the other two leaders who will not be visiting Delhi.

Meanwhile, the stage is set for the G20 Summit in the national capital at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam. This is the first time that the G20 Summit is taking place under India’s presidency. The event will be graced by many global leaders and delegates. Extensive preparations and arrangements have been made for the summit, with the intention of showcasing both India’s soft power as well as modern face. Formed in 1999, the G20 was formed to maintain global financial stability by incorporating middle-income countries.

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. The next G20 presidency is going to be taken over by Brazil in 2024, followed by South Africa in 2025.