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, it was said. 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.
When Lavrov was greeted on Thursday, two German journalists called out questions to the minister. ZDF correspondent Andreas Kynast asked: "When are you going to end the war?". Kynast was then taken out of the reception hall by Indonesian security officials. A second German journalist shouted at Lavrov the question: "Why don't you end the war?".
At the start of the meeting, hostess Retno Marsudi urgently called for an end to the Russian war in Ukraine. "It is our responsibility to end the war as quickly as possible. And to build bridges and not walls," said the Indonesian foreign minister. The world's largest island state currently chairs the G20 confederation of states.
In her opening speech, Marsudi said the group of states must use the opportunity of the meeting to build trust and "give peace a chance". She urgently called for multilateralism, i.e. for cooperation between states in solving current political and social problems. "Global challenges require global solutions," she explained.
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.
