Ukraine war to dominate G20 FMs’ meeting in Bali
Foreign ministers from the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations are gathering in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali for talks bound to be dominated by the conflict in Ukraine despite an agenda focused on global cooperation and food and energy security.
The one-day gathering will take place on Friday on the mostly Hindu “island of the gods” in the majority Muslim archipelago nation.
Underscoring the backdrop of tensions hanging over the meeting, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov stopped in various Asian capitals on their way to Bali, drumming up support and fortifying their ties in the region ahead of the talks.
The United States and its allies have sought to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin in as many ways as possible, including by threatening a boycott of the G20’s Bali summit in November unless Putin is removed from the forum.
So as this year’s president of the G20, Indonesia has been forced into playing a more constructive role on the world stage rather than acting just as an
“event organiser”.
The country has sought to remain neutral in dealing with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and President Joko Widodo has been guarded in his comments.
Widodo was the first Asian leader to visit the warring countries. Ukraine is not a member of G20, but Widodo has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the November summit along with Putin, hoping to appease all sides and limit any distractions from the forum’s agenda.
Zelensky has said he won’t attend if the war is continuing then and has opted to follow the discussions by video link.
Widodo reportedly told Italian Prime Minister Marion Draghi, on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Germany, that Putin also will not be coming. Moscow has said a decision has not yet been made.
That apparent compromise may be put to the test when the G20 foreign ministers gather in Bali’s heavily-guarded Nusa Dua tourist haven to lay the groundwork for the 17th summit of the West’s economic powerhouses.