Ahead of the G20 summit in India this weekend, the U.S. administration has stressed the importance of the meeting as a forum to deliver results.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the summit in New Delhi was an opportunity for “all of the major economies of the world to come together for global problem-solving at a moment when the international economy is suffering from historic and overlapping shocks.”

“It’s more important than ever that we have a working forum with the world’s largest economies to deliver meaningful outcomes,” Mr Sullivan said.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants his G20 chairmanship to demonstrate how important his country has become.

However, China’s President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin will stay away from this year’s meeting, where the Russian invasion of Ukraine will be high on the agenda.

Mr Xi’s absence, in particular, will further diminish the importance of the already divided G20 platform.

The Chinese leader’s absence also makes a meeting between him and Biden on the sidelines of the summit not possible.

The U.S. president, however, wants to continue talks with Mr Xi in the coming months, according to adviser Mr Sullivan.

However, Sullivan did not specify a date for a possible meeting.

China and G20 host country India have a tense relationship.

The two most populous countries in the world are fighting over an area south of Tibet and east of India. 

(dpa/NAN)