Indian delegation to St. Petersburg Economic Forum to be less substantial because of election - ambassador
MOSCOW. May 10 (Interfax) - The Indian delegation to the 2014 St. Petersburg Economic Forum will be less substantial than it was in the previous years because of the election process and the formation of a new Indian government, said Indian Ambassador in Moscow Poondi Shrinivasan Raghavan.
India is holding a general election; the results will be announced on approximately May 16-17 and the government formation will start, which means ministers will be practically unable to attend the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, he said in an interview with Interfax.
However, this circumstance does not suggest that India denies the great significance of the upcoming event, the ambassador noted.
In addition, during this period various industrial and commercial associations of India will prioritize the dialogue with the new government about it policy in relevant sectors. This is the reason why even representatives of these associations will be unable to demonstrate the former turnout. Hence, India's attendance cannot hold the previous level, he continued.
Twelve delegates, among them two deputy ministers, will be representing India in this year's forum, he noted.
The full interview will be published on the website www.interfax.ru.