Indonesian officials have asked Western members of the Group of 20 nations (G20) to tone down their criticism of Russia, with a view to agreeing on a joint statement at the end of their summit in Bali on 15-16 November, Politico reports, citing diplomatic sources.
According to the media, diplomats from Japan, the United States, Europe, Australia and Canada, among others, have been invited by Indonesian officials, including President Joko Widodo, to show “flexibility” towards Russia - which will be represented at the summit by Sergei Lavrov - so that the Russian Foreign Minister can join the final joint declaration.
Joko Widodo would consider the success of such a final declaration a “personal success,” Politico reported, and has reportedly complained that he will be hosting the thorniest G20 ever.
The idea of excluding Russia from the G20 and turning it into the G19, as happened with the G8 after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, is said to have failed to convince the Indonesian president. A joint final declaration, however, seems increasingly unlikely.
At least 17 leaders will attend the meeting in Bali. They include US President Joe Biden, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron
