Indonesian President Joko Widodo first acknowledged on Monday that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, is expected to miss the G20 summit in Bali next week, despite Moscow keeping the issue open.
Widodo said in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper that he had a “strong feeling” that Putin will ultimately not make it onto the list of leaders who will travel to the Southeast Asian country’s tourist island for the group of 20 meeting. most developed economies (G20), reports the Spanish agency Europa Press.
The Indonesian leader spoke to Putin by phone last week, in a round of contacts that also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the meeting in Bali.
Indonesia, which currently chairs the G20, said last week that 17 leaders had already confirmed their attendance at what will be the group’s first major meeting since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year.
Zelensky recently announced that he will not attend the Bali summit if Putin is present.
Russia has so far limited itself to confirming its participation, without clarifying the level of its delegation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said Monday that Putin’s possible presence or absence will be clarified later this week, Russia’s TASS news agency said.
Founded in 1999, the G20 unites 19 countries (South Africa, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, South Korea, United States, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Turkey and the United Kingdom) and the European Union.
Spain is regularly invited to G20 meetings.
Together, the G20 represents 60% of the world’s population, 80% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and 75% of global exports, according to data from the group’s Indonesian presidency.
Source: DN
