G20 Foreign Ministers Summit to Begin in Bali
G20 foreign ministers will begin their two-day meeting today in Bali, Indonesia.
The global economic recession, food and energy security, and Russia’s war in Ukraine are set to dominate proceedings. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will also be in attendance. Since the war in Ukraine began, western countries have staged walkouts during addresses by Russian delegates and voiced their condemnation at several G20 meetings.
Today’s meeting comes after Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s meeting with Russian and Ukrainian counterparts last week to advocate for a peaceful resolution and easing the global food crisis. Widodo is committed to including Russia in multilateral formats to salvage the G20 summit, which is set to convene in November under Indonesia’s presidency.
Expect western foreign ministers to protest the Russian delegation—likely in the form of a walkout during Russia’s presentation—to condemn Russian aggression and the resultant food insecurity and rise in global energy prices. Although Widodo supports Russia’s inclusion in the G20, it is unlikely that he will be able to facilitate a resolution between Russia and western states in the medium-term. Accordingly, Russia is expected to continue to pose an obstacle to global food and energy security in the short-term as states continue to alienate them from international forums.
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