Union minister for Defence Arun Jaitley to miss military meet with Russia

NEW DELHI: Union minister for Defence and Finance, Arun Jaitley, who is under treatment at AIIMS, will not attend a World Bank meeting slated for October in the US and his illhealth could also lead to the postponement of a crucial joint military meeting with Russia.

Officials told ET that it was almost certain that Jaitley would not travel to the US to participate in the World Bank meet scheduled for October 10-12. Jaitley was also scheduled to speak at an investor meet and do one-on-one video conferences with investors. He was expected to visit Pentagon during his trip to Washington DC on the invitation of his US counterpart Chuck Hagel. He had already skipped a meeting of FMs from G-20 nations in Australia in September.

Jaitley was admitted to a private hospital here for gastric bypass surgery on September 2 for lowering weight and treatment of diabetes. He was readmitted last week, as per the hospital, for treatment of gastroenteritis, and moved to AIIMS on Sunday. News agency Reuters quoted officials as saying that his absence for almost a month had begun to slow decisionmaking, including delays to appointments of officials such as the chief economic adviser in the finance ministry. But officials told ET Jaitley had been working from the hospital.