Key facts
- Lavrov said Poland's invitation to G20 meetings breaks diplomatic rules.
- Poland is lobbying for permanent G20 membership.
- Lavrov stated Poland's economy is not large enough to qualify for attendance.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that inviting Poland to attend G20 meetings was counter-productive and broke with diplomatic practice. Lavrov stated that the consensus-based nature of such gatherings is violated when members work on extending invitations to new participants. He added that Poland "adds nothing" to the meeting and its economy is not large enough to qualify for attendance, also noting that its description as a representative of "eastern Europe" was erroneous given existing NATO and EU representation. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski had previously told reporters in Atlanta that the US had made a motion to make Poland a permanent G20 member and Warsaw was lobbying for that. Sikorski also called for a rapid ceasefire in the Black Sea to allow safe passage for grain shipments.