# Not ‘business as usual’ for G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-07-06 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Bali Overshadowed by War in Meta Description: Get the latest on the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Bali overshadowed by the war in Ukraine. Russia's attendance creates rifts in the bloc as host URL: https://financedigest.com/not-business-as-usual-for-g20-foreign-ministers-meeting-in-balihtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-07-06t132648z2lynxmpei6509nrtroptp4g20-indonesia-1736815600818-compressed.jpg) By Kate Lamb and David Brunnstrom (Reuters) – G20 foreign ministers travel to the resort island of Bali this week for a meeting that will be overshadowed by the war in Ukraine, with Russia’s attendance creating rifts in the bloc as host Indonesia tries to mediate. The Group of 20 includes Western countries that have accused Moscow of war crimes in Ukraine and rolled out sanctions, but also countries like China, Indonesia, India and South Africa that have not followed suit. The gathering will be the first time that foreign ministers from some of the [world’s top](https://www.financedigest.com/top-10-fastest-bikes-in-the-world.html "Top 10 fastest bikes in the world") economies meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. Speaking [ahead of the G20 meeting](https://www.financedigest.com/sterling-steadies-vs-dollar-ahead-of-boe-ecb-meetings.html "Sterling steadies vs dollar ahead of BoE, ECB meetings") that runs from Thursday to Friday, German foreign ministry spokesperson Christian Wagner said it would not be a “normal summit” nor “business as usual. Germany holds the presidency of the Group of Seven industrialised nations and would coordinate in Bali over how to respond to Lavrov in light of the [war in Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-grants-citizenship-to-top-russian-journalist-who-denounced-war.html "Ukraine grants citizenship to top Russian journalist who denounced war"), he said. Top officials from Britain, Canada and the United States [walked out on Russian representatives during a G20 finance](https://www.financedigest.com/bootmaker-dr-martens-warns-on-profit-as-finance-chief-walks.html "Bootmaker Dr Martens warns on profit as finance chief walks") meeting in Washington in April. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken would be an active participant at the meeting while “also staying true to another over-riding objective, and that is the fact that it cannot be [business as usual with the Russian](https://www.financedigest.com/pizza-firm-dp-eurasia-considers-divestment-of-russian-business.html "Pizza firm DP Eurasia considers divestment of Russian business") Federation”, a U.S. state department spokesperson said. Blinken will meet Chinese [Foreign Minister](https://www.financedigest.com/james-cleverly-to-remain-uk-foreign-minister-statement.html "James Cleverly to remain UK foreign minister – statement") Wang Yi in Bali, but no meeting is expected with Lavrov. As G20 chair this year, Indonesia has been [caught at the centre of a geopolitical storm over the war](https://www.financedigest.com/broadband-wars-make-sure-youre-not-caught-in-the-slow-lane.html "Broadband wars – make sure you’re not caught in the slow lane  "), attempting to head off threats by Western countries to boycott meetings. After the foreign ministers’ meeting, G20 [finance ministers](https://www.financedigest.com/scottish-finance-minister-kate-forbes-to-run-for-countrys-leadership.html "Scottish finance minister Kate Forbes to run for country’s leadership") are scheduled to meet next week, also in Bali. Trying to leverage Indonesia’s neutrality, President Joko Widodo embarked on an ambitious peace-brokering mission last week, visiting Kyiv and Moscow to meet [Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian](https://www.financedigest.com/ukrainian-volunteers-recount-three-weeks-in-russian-captivity-allege-beatings.html "Ukrainian volunteers recount three weeks in Russian captivity, allege beatings") President Vladimir Putin. The president, who is widely known as Jokowi, has invited Ukraine to the G20 this year, attempted to convince Russia to end a blockade on [grain exports](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-grain-export-coordination-centre-opens-in-istanbul.html "Ukraine grain export coordination centre opens in Istanbul") that is driving a global food crisis, and offered up Indonesia as a “diplomatic bridge” between the nations. [Ukraine’s ambassador to Indonesia Vasyl Hamianin said his country’s foreign minister](https://www.financedigest.com/russian-missiles-hit-30-of-ukraines-energy-infrastructure-in-two-days-minister.html "Russian missiles hit 30% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in two days – minister") would give a virtual address at the Bali meeting. [PLAN TO SNUB G20 MEETINGS](https://www.financedigest.com/uks-sunak-plans-to-meet-biden-in-g20-summit.html "UK’s Sunak plans to meet Biden in G20 summit") RETHOUGHT Despite early talk of snubbing some G20 meetings, [Western leaders ultimately decided that ceding the floor to Russia](https://www.financedigest.com/russia-bans-western-investors-from-selling-banking-key-energy-stakes.html "Russia bans Western investors from selling banking, key energy stakes") would be counter-productive, said Max Bergmann, a Russia and Europe expert and a former senior U.S. [State Department official](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-state-officials-urge-support-for-landmark-26-billion-opioid-settlement.html "U.S. state officials urge support for landmark billion opioid settlement"). If you don’t show up, and then the Russians have the floor with some really critical countries like Indonesia, India, and others, then they’re making their arguments unopposed,” said Bergmann, who is now at Washington’s Center for Strategic and [International Studies](https://www.financedigest.com/most-sales-and-marketing-teams-struggle-to-activate-data-in-their-organisation-according-to-new-international-study.html "Most Sales and Marketing teams struggle to activate data in their organisation, according to new international study"). Ramin Toloui, U.S. [assistant secretary of state for economic and business](https://www.financedigest.com/lane-change-assist-systems-market-overview-business-growth-development-factors-application-and-future-prospects.html "Lane Change Assist Systems Market Overview – Business Growth, Development Factors, Application And Future Prospects") affairs, said on Tuesday that food and energy would feature prominently at the meeting. \[W1N2XZ015\] G20 [countries should hold Russia accountable](https://www.financedigest.com/5-countries-you-need-to-have-an-offshore-account-in.html "5 Countries You Need To Have An Offshore Account In") and insist that it support ongoing U.N. efforts to reopen the [sea lanes for grain](https://www.financedigest.com/kremlin-remains-downbeat-on-state-of-black-sea-grain-deal.html "Kremlin remains downbeat on state of Black Sea grain deal") delivery,” he said. During a trip to Vietnam on Wednesday, Russia’s Lavrov [called on all parties in the world to make efforts to protect international laws](https://www.financedigest.com/international-law-firm-calls-in-viato-connect-uk-and-us-offices.html "INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM CALLS IN VIATO CONNECT UK AND US OFFICES") as “the world is evolving in a complicated manner. His comments ahead of his arrival in Bali come as Russia has been accused by [Western countries of breaching international law through its invasion of Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/analysis-russian-gold-removed-from-some-western-funds-after-ukraine.html "Analysis-Russian gold removed from some Western funds after Ukraine"), which Moscow calls a “special operation. The reaction to Lavrov in Bali could also [provide an indication of how G20 members might respond if Putin attends November’s summit meeting of the group](https://www.financedigest.com/mazars-to-acquire-financial-modelling-consultancy-and-training-provider-corality-financial-group.html "Mazars to acquire financial modelling consultancy and training provider, Corality Financial Group") in person, which is yet to be confirmed. The Indonesian president, until recently not normally very active on [foreign policy](https://www.financedigest.com/ancs-failed-foreign-policy-hurting-south-africa.html "ANC’s failed foreign policy hurting South Africa") issues, has come to see his handling of the group’s presidency as a defining moment in his presidency, said Murray Hiebert, a Southeast Asia expert at CSIS. “Jokowi desperately hopes to avoid a diplomatic train wreck if Putin shows up in November,” he said. (Reporting by Alexander Ratz in Berlin, David Brunnstrom in Washington and Kate Lamb in Sydney; Editing by Ed Davies and Raju Gopalakrishnan) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---