Russia’s ambassador to Indonesia,Lyudmila Vorobieva,told a news conference in Jakarta on Wednesday that Putin planned to attend the leaders’ conference in Bali and has argued that “inserting sensitive political issues into the agenda will be counterproductive”.
She said the reaction of the West was “absolutely disproportional” and that “many organisations are trying to expel Russia”,not simply members of the G20.
“Russia has been invited,” she said. “We are very appreciative of the position of the Indonesian government which has adopted the presidency of G20 for this year,” she said. “Of course the G20 is not a forum to discuss or to solve this kind of crisis. Actually,it’s a forum to improve the economic situation and solve economic problems.”
The Indonesian Foreign Ministry emphasised last week that the G20 has always been “a forum to discuss global economic issues”,pointing to arenas such as the UN General Assembly as the debate platform for subjects like the war in Europe.
The flow-on effects of the Ukraine crisis such as food shortages and rising energy prices would fall into the global economic category but Natalegawa said there could be a “a deafening silence if leaders come to Bali for G20 and discuss everything under the sun except the issue that is right in front of us”.
“The G20 at the leadership level is one of the few processes where all the main countries sit together,” he said.
“You have Russia,you have the United States,you have China,you have the European economies and therefore,as a way to find a resolution to the ongoing conflict by multilateral means,it is extremely important for the G20 to address the issue.”
Indonesian news outletKompas reported that several nations had asked Indonesia not to invite Russia to the first G20 gathering since the invasion – a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in Washington next month.
“We hope all will be present. If Russia is present,all are expected to be present too,” said Edi Prio Pambudi,Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Coordination of International Economic Cooperation.
Muhadi Sugiono,an international relations lecturer at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta,said Indonesia was caught between a rock and a hard place.
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“The US and the West do not want Russia to be there and Indonesia as the G20 chair is in a difficult position,” he said. “I personally think that Indonesia must invite Russia. If we don’t invite Russia it means the G20 spirit is dead.”
Asked whether US President Joe Biden would move to push Russia out of the G20 when he meets with allies in Brussels this week,national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at the White House:“We believe that it cannot be business as usual for Russia in international institutions and in the international community.”
It is unlikely,however,that G20 members such as India,Brazil,South Africa and China,as well as Indonesia,would agree to remove Russia from the group.
with Reuters