BALI: The annual G20 Summit opened here on Tuesday with world leaders set to discuss challenges triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently topped by Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.
The leaders will also hold three working sessions — on food and energy security, digital transformations, and health.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has opened the G20 Summit with a call for the world to end the war in Ukraine and bridge wide differences amid rifts over Ukraine war.
Addressing the opening Session in Bali, he called for unity at the bloc’s Summit urging the group to not allow the world to fall into another cold war.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday following his attendance at the G20 Summit that Russia was not refusing to negotiate with Ukraine, it is the Kiev regime who is doing so.
“We have repeatedly confirmed through our president that we do not refuse to negotiate. If anyone is refusing to negotiate, it is Ukraine. The longer it [the Kiev regime] continues to refuse, the harder it will be to reach an agreement,” he clarified.
As for signals about negotiations to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky from the West, Moscow has recorded various reports citing anonymous sources, including rumors that “the US administration is telling Zelensky to be more cooperative.”
“Then, it is immediately clarified that this is not really for the aim of him actually behaving constructively, but to overcome objections from that portion of the Western world that is starting to doubt the need for additional weapons supplies,” the minister stressed.
On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told G20 leaders that now was the time to stop Russia’s war in his country under a peace plan he has proposed.
Speaking through video link, Zelenskiy said the war should be ended “justly and on the basis of the UN Charter and international law”.
He called for restoring “radiation safety” with regard to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, introducing price restrictions on Russian energy resources, and expanding a grain export initiative. He also called for all Ukrainian prisoners to be released.
“Please choose your path for leadership – and together we will surely implement the peace formula,” he said.
“We have no other option, collaboration is needed to save the world,” he said. “G20 must be the catalyst for inclusive economic recovery. We should not divide the world into parts. We must not allow the world to fall into another cold war.”
The G20, which includes countries ranging from Brazil to India, Saudi Arabia and Germany, accounts for more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product, 75% of international trade and 60% of its population.
A positive sign on the eve of the summit was a three-hour bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in which the two leaders pledged more frequent communications despite many differences.
Monday’s meeting was the first time the two had met in person since Biden became president and the talks appeared to signal an improvement in relations between the superpowers after a downward spiral in recent months. –Agencies
