Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will not be able to travel to the BRICS meeting in the Russian city of Kazan from October 22-24 due to health reasons.
The president has been imposed a "temporary ban on long-term air travel", the press service of the president informed, quoted by TASS. It is noted that the Brazilian leader will participate in the summit via video conference.
According to the Brazilian portal Metrópoles, today Lula da Silva suffered a domestic injury: he hit the back of his head. The president was taken to the Sirio-Libanes Hospital in Brazil, where he received stitches.
„He was advised to avoid long-haul flights in order to concentrate on other tasks”, the portal quoted a statement from the press service of the medical facility.
The press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov ruled out that the cancellation of the trip of the Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to the BRICS meeting in Kazan could be connected with the decision of the Russian President Vladimir Putin not to go to the meeting of G -20 in Brazil.
„No”, Peskov answered when asked by TASS if these things could be connected. He emphasized that in the Kremlin “this thought cannot even cross our minds”.
In a meeting with media heads of the BRICS countries, Putin announced that he would not go to the G20 meeting in Brazil in 2024. He explained that he did not want to interfere with the event. According to the president, his appearance at the G-20 would disrupt the normal functioning of the forum.
At the same time, Putin assured that the Russian authorities will find a person to represent the country's interests at a high level at the upcoming meeting. The head of state also emphasized that he has “excellent friendly relations” with the president of Brazil.