MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend the COP26 climate summit at Glasgow in Scotland, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.
No reason was given for the decision not to attend, but a Kremlin spokesperson said climate change was an "important" priority for Russia, the BBC reported.
"Unfortunately, Putin will not fly to Glasgow," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that climate change was "one of our foreign policy's most important priorities". COP26 takes place in Scotland's largest city from October 31 to November 12. Russia's decision is seen as a blow to efforts to get leaders to negotiate a new deal to stall rising global temperatures. Putin has not commented on the official announcement but speaking at an international energy forum in Moscow on October 13, the Russian leader cited the coronavirus pandemic as a factor in his decision to travel. (IANS)
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