Scandal in Bali
Lavrov leaves G20 meeting early
7/8/2022 7:16 am
The G20 meeting is overshadowed by the Russian war against Ukraine. Now the Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is leaving the meeting place in Bali ahead of schedule. It was previously announced that he left the meeting room immediately after his speech – and thus eluded a reply from Foreign Minister Baerbock.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is leaving the G20 meeting of leading and emerging economic powerhouses on the Indonesian island of Bali ahead of schedule. “Lavrov is still holding bilateral talks, after which he turns to the press and leaves,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said. He therefore does not take part in the official meal and in the afternoon session.
Previously, it had already been said from delegation circles that Lavrov had left the meeting room after his speech. He also eluded the reply from Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. The Greens politician, as acting chairwoman of the G7 group of leading democratic economic powers, was scheduled to be the next speaker.
The G20 meeting is overshadowed by the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. Shortly after her arrival in Bali on Thursday evening, Baerbock said that in her speech in the presence of Lavrov, she would “find very clear words that we do not accept this breach of international law”. The otherwise customary family photo and an official closing statement should be dispensed with at the G20 meeting because of Lavrov’s presence.
Lavrov’s presence at the G20 meeting was seen as a test for Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s possible participation in the G20 summit on November 15-16, which is also taking place in Bali. Several states have questioned their participation should Putin appear in person. Indonesia, the world’s largest island nation, holds the G20 presidency this year.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo traveled to Kyiv and Moscow at the end of June and met both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin. He had offered a mediating role in the conflict.