Xi, Putin to skip BRICS Summit in Brazil
Beijing/Moscow, Jun 25 (PTI): Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping will not travel to Brazil for the BRICS Summit scheduled for early next month.
Although there is no official announcement yet, media reports suggested that Xi plans to skip the BRICS Summit, which, if confirmed, will be his first-ever absence from the meeting of the bloc in over a decade.
Instead, Chinese Premier and Xi’s confidant Li Qiang will take part in the summit, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday.
In Moscow, Kremlin Foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov announced on Wednesday: “Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will represent Russia at the upcoming BRICS summit in Brazil, while Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the event via video link.”
Brazil, as the current rotating chair of BRICS, is hosting its regular 17th summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6-7.
The BRICS comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The bloc has been expanded with five additional members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
In 2023, President Putin skipped the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, due to an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) at Ukraine's request.
Brazil, like South Africa, is a signatory of ICC's Rome Statute and is obliged to act on its warrants.
In Beijing, during the media briefing on Wednesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun declined to comment on the reports about Xi’s decision, saying that information on China’s attendance at the BRICS summit would be released in due course.
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Nagaland bypoll: Nearly 20 pc voter turnout recorded in Koridang seat in first two hours
Kohima (PTI): Nearly 20 per cent of 22,382 electors exercised their franchise in Nagaland's Koridang Assembly bypoll in the first two hours of polling on Thursday, officials said.
The voting that commenced at 7 am across all 30 polling stations has so far been peaceful, they said.
The polling will continue till 4 pm.
Security has been significantly tightened across the constituency following violence on April 5 and 6, in which one person died, and several vehicles were damaged.
The byelection was necessitated by the demise of sitting BJP MLA Imkong L. Imchen in November last year.
A total of 22,382 electors, including 11,071 women, are eligible to decide the fate of six candidates in the fray.
The ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA) has fielded BJP nominee Daochier I. Imchen, while the Congress candidate is T. Chalukumba Ao. The National People’s Party (NPP) has nominated I. Abenjang, while the Independent candidates are Imchatoba Imchen, Imtiwapang, and Toshikaba.
Of the 30 polling stations, 13 have been categorised as vulnerable and 17 as critical, prompting deployment of additional security personnel and intensified surveillance measures. Two polling stations have been designated as all-women booths.
Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
